Family Game Night
by Wreckless Righter
Summary: Elijah wants his siblings to partake in a Family Game Night each week in an effort to bring them together as a family again. Unfortunately, a Game Night with The Originals tends to cause a bit of chaos!
1. Chapter 1: Monopoly

**Title: "**FAMILY GAME NIGHT"**  
Rated: **T (for language)**  
Characters: **Elijah, Klaus, Rebekah, & Kol**  
Disclaimer: **Do not own Vampire Diaries. ….yet. ;)

Week One

After all of the drama that had gone down with the Original Family in Mystic Falls, Elijah Mikaelson decided it was time for he and his siblings to reconnect and spend some quality time together. He'd arranged a family game night every week in the hopes that the bond between he and his siblings would rekindle. Of course, he hadn't really expected any of them to take to the idea, but he'd try his luck. He had set up an old antique wood card table in the center of the sitting room, sparking their curiosity. Kol was the first to voice his interest and, as usual, Rebekah followed suit. Klaus just watched, idly. Once he explained the notion of "Family Game Night", however, he nearly lost them.

Kol patted his cheek. "You're adorable, big brother."

"Insane is what he is, if he thinks we're really going to agree to this," Rebekah commented.

"It's very human of you," Klaus taunted. "And as much _fun_as it sounds, I think I'd rather pass."

"Just give it a chance," he'd pleaded. And somehow, miraculously, they did...

* * *

Elijah was standing at the table, hands flat upon it, trying to remain as patient as possible. He had managed to gather two of his three siblings to the table. Rebekah was sitting across from him, gazing at her nails in disgust while, beside her, Kol practiced twirling the tip of a wooden stake upright on his index finger. Neither was particularly enthused. One empty chair stood at the table between Rebekah and Elijah. Klaus was the only one who hadn't moved from his spot.

"Come on, Nik. We don't want daddy to get mad," Kol teased, still toying with the stake.

"Honestly, Elijah. Why are you making us do this?" Rebekah agreed.

"I think a little quality time could do us all some good."

Kol slammed the stake down on the table. "Then let's go on a family hunt! This is ridiculous!"

"You can't really expect these two to take it seriously," Klaus remarked from where he lounged on the couch.

"I don't see you taking it serious, either, Klaus," Elijah retorted over his shoulder.

Klaus rolled his eyes and sighed. He got up and joined his siblings at the table, taking his glass of wine with him.

"You're really going along with this, Nik?" Rebekah raised her eyebrows.

He shrugged, sipping his wine. "I'm humoring him."

"Yes, humor," Kol said, leaning far enough back in his chair to cause the two front legs to lift from the ground. He folded his hands behind his head and rocked back and forth, balancing. "What this entire game night idea reeks of."

"If you're going to make fun of it the entire time, then don't play," Elijah told him.

Kol slammed the chair back on its feet and rose with delight. "Great! Thank you."

"Kol, don't leave me here with them!" Rebekah called after him.

But he started to walk out. Before he could pass entirely through the archway, a breeze blew by and Klaus appeared before him.

"Sit back down," Klaus said, firmly. "You don't walk out on family."

Kol's eyes narrowed in a glare. "Well isn't the pot just calling the kettle."

"Sit, Kol."

Sulking, Kol made his way back to his seat beside Rebekah.

"What are we playing?" he asked, wearing a pretentious grin.

Elijah lifted a box onto the table. "Monopoly."

All three Originals let out a collective groan.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the game board was finally set up. But an argument had broken out over which token each Original wanted to be.

"You just had to take the top hat, didn't you?" Klaus grumbled at Elijah.

"You were too slow," Elijah grinned at his brother, dealing out the paper bills.

"Why can't I be the dog?" Rebekah whined.

"Oh come on," Kol argued. "You already _are_ a bitch."

She scoffed. "Here," she handed him a game piece. "You can be the shoe. And while you're at it, why don't you take it and stick it up your - "

"Can we _please_just get started?" Elijah interrupted.

"All right!" Kol surrendered. "I'll be the shoe."

Rebekah smirked, triumphantly, as she placed her dog at the starting point beside the other game pieces – Kol's shoe, Elijah's top hat and Klaus's horseback rider. Kol glanced at Klaus's choice of game token.

"Fancy horses, do you?" he smirked, knowingly.

"How do we start?" Klaus asked, ignoring him.

Elijah scanned over the directions. "It says to roll the dice to determine who gets to move first. The player with the highest number goes first."

He put down the paper and picked up the dice to roll. He totaled at 7. Klaus scooped them up next and beamed at his roll of 12. As Kol went to reach for the dice, Rebekah snatched them from his hands and threw them down only to get 3. Kol rolled an 8.

"Okay, so Klaus is first," Elijah confirmed. "Then Kol, then myself, and Rebekah."

Rebekah silently pouted at the results. Elijah handed the dice to Klaus and he rolled double sixes. Moving his horse twelve spots forward, he landed on The Electric Company.

"Do you want to buy The Electric Company?" Elijah asked Klaus, having taken on the role of 'banker'.

Klaus looked at him like he was an idiot. "Why would I want to buy it when I could compel the owner to give it to me for free?"

"No," Elijah laughed. "In the game. Do you want to buy the title deed?"

"Hard to buy anything with paper," Rebekah remarked, waving her wad of faux bills.

Ignoring her, Klaus glanced down at the board. "I don't see how it could be of use. No."

"Then roll again," Elijah told him. "You had doubles."

He did, and this time he got five and moved to a 'Community Chest' spot. He picked up the yellow card and almost as quickly threw it down, angered.

"This is blasphemous," he seethed.

Kol snatched up the card and read it aloud. "Go directly to Jail. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200." He laughed, heartily. "Even the game knows you're a tyrant, Nik!"

"Shut up, Kol," he said, bitterly as he moved his piece to the jail cell.

Still chuckling, Kol grabbed the dice and proceeded to roll a 7. He landed on a 'Chance' spot. He picked up the orange card and immediately burst into a hysterical laughter. His three siblings stared at him, agog.

"Oh this is pure beauty," he said, breathlessly.

When he finally contained himself, he leaned halfway over the table, his glistening eyes focused on Klaus.

"For once, in our long lives, I finally have something that you want," he smirked, holding the card up.

Klaus reached and grabbed the card, scanning it quickly. "How is this possible?" he asked, incredulously. "He gets a 'Get out of Jail free' card when I'm the one stuck there?"

"Luck of the draw," Elijah shrugged, scooping up the dice. He rolled a 9, putting him at Connecticut Avenue. "I think I'll take a chance on that."

"What is the point of this game, exactly?" Rebekah asked, resting her chin in her hands. "Why do we have to buy these deed things?"

"Because daddy 'Lijah wants us to be a family," Kol crooned, mockingly.

"Please stop calling me that, Kol," Elijah begged.

"Or at least come up with something original," Klaus agreed.

Kol's eyes narrowed. "Forgive me for trying to make light of the situation."

"Still waiting for that explanation," Rebekah reminded them.

"The point, Rebekah," Elijah began, "is to collect the title deeds and build properties in which the other players have to pay rent to each time they land upon one. Ultimately, you want to cause the rest of the players to go bankrupt."

She raised an eyebrow. "That sounds boring."

"I agree," Kol smacked his palms against the table. "All in favor of ending the game and going to the Grille?

"Not until I get out of Jail," Klaus grumbled.

Kol sighed in defeat and handed the dice to Rebekah.

* * *

An hour into the game, Klaus was, indeed, out of Jail. He owned both Water Works and The Electric Company – evidently it had become useful – and the two title deeds Park Place and Boardwalk and had been consistently accused of cheating. Rebekah had collected all of the Railroads, while Elijah started building houses on his set of blue properties – Connecticut, Vermont and Oriental Avenues . The only two titles Kol owned were Baltic and Mediterranean Avenues and a red hotel house sat on each of them.

It was Kol's turn to roll, and he stared fixedly at the property he had landed on – Marvin Gardens.

"Too rich for my blood," he finally decided.

Elijah peered at him. "The only two properties you own are the cheapest on the board. You really should consider expanding."

Kol smiled, wryly. "Don't you worry about my strategy, 'Lij. I may sit here with the cheapest properties, but I also am the only one with hotels right now. Anyone who lands there has to pay me either $450 or $250." He picked up the dice and held them out for Elijah. "And it's your turn, brother."

Rolling his eyes, Elijah took the dice and threw them across the board. The dice read 8. He glanced at the board, and his shoulders fell with the realization. His top hat was sitting on the Short Line railroad. Eight spaces from that was Baltic Avenue.

"What'd I tell you?" Kol smirked.

"Coincidence," he stated sourly, handing $450 over to Kol.

"If that's what helps you sleep at night," Kol responded, counting out the paper bills.

"Here, Rebekah," Elijah passed her the dice.

She landed on a 'Chance Spot'. "You have won second prize in beauty contest. Collect $10," she read aloud. "What kind of beauty contest only awards $10?"

"You did only win second place," Kol pointed out.

Rebekah narrowed her eyes at him. "I would have won first if it were real."

"Only because you'd compel the judges," Klaus dimpled, with a raise of his eyebrows.

She turned her head sharply, her hair whipping against her neck. "You don't think I could win fairly?"

"I didn't say that," he said, attempting to make amends. "I just meant - "

"You don't think I'm beautiful?"

"Do you think _I'm _beautiful?" Kol batted his eyelashes at his brother.

Klaus laughed at Kol. "You're both gorgeous."

"You're _all_ insane," Elijah grinned at them.

"Awww, Elijah's feeling left out," Kol frowned, playfully.

"Oh he's a handsome devil and he knows it," Klaus beamed.

"Handsome devil? And all I get is beautiful?"

"You guys are making jokes when I'm trying to be serious," Rebekah butted in.

"Nobody cares, Bekah," Kol rolled his eyes.

"Elijah cares," she pointed to her oldest brother.

"I just want to finish the game," Elijah said loudly.

"All right, don't get your panties in a bunch," Kol leaned back in his chair. He spread his hands wide, raising them in surrender. "Let's settle down now, all. Daddy 'Lijah wants to finish the game."

Elijah sighed, frustratedly. "I told you to stop calling me that."

"Daddy 'Lijah?"

"Kol."

"Yes, daddy?"

Furious, Elijah stood and swiped the entire game board off the table. Game tokens and little plastic houses went flying, ricocheting off the windows. Title deeds floated through the air and fluttered down to the ground. Elijah stormed out of the house in a whoosh. The three remaining Originals exchanged glances.

"So...I win," Kol declared.

* * *

_Hope you enjoyed! Stay tuned for the next game night to find out what game the Originals will be playing next. ;) R&R!_


	2. Chapter 2: Scrabble

**Note**

_Wow. Got more response than I thought I would. I'm so glad everyone loved this. :) I worked really hard with these two chapters. To the point that I actually sat down with the games on my table to figure out placement, scoring accuracy, so on and so forth. I'm nuts right? Forget it. Just read. :)_

_Oh! Before you go, I want to make a notice. Someone had mentioned in their review about the updating time. I kind of want to start updating it once a week - preferably every Friday night. So like, every Friday night is Game Night. I know, the irony isn't lost on me either. But it also helps me to have a time limit to come up with the next chapter thereby forcing me to actually get it done. Considering I have 2 other stories in the works, it's helpful to do it this way. I hope it doesn't upset anyone!_

_Kay. You're free to read now!_

* * *

Week 2

After the mishap with Monopoly, Elijah was ready to call "Family Game Night" a bust. To his surprise, he noticed all week that his siblings had been behaving more positively toward each other. He wanted desperately to give it a second chance, but worried that Kol would ruin it again. Kol assured him he would be on his utmost behavior, but he had half a mind not to believe his baby brother. Still, he wasn't ready to give up on the games just yet...

Another Friday night arrived. As The Mikaelson family prepared for a night of bonding over board games, a knock at the door interrupted the setup. Eager to get away, Klaus went to answer it. It was his latest obsession, Caroline Forbes.

"To what do I owe this pleasure?" he smirked.

"I was hoping we could talk," she answered.

Klaus distractedly glanced back behind him to see if any of his siblings had been eavesdropping when Kol peeked around his shoulder wearing his usual mischievous smirk.

"Hello, sweetheart," he greeted. "Care to join us?"

"Kol, don't," Klaus warned.

"Join you for what?" she asked, puzzled, as she was unwillingly pulled into the house.

Rebekah caught sight of Caroline behind her brother. "What's _she _doing here? This is a family gathering."

"She's my guest, Rebekah," Klaus told her.

"Your guest," she sniggered.

"Yes. And it would benefit you to set an example for Kol and be on your best behavior," he said, walking around Caroline and Kol toward where the table stood.

"Don't you dare concede, Rebekah," Kol told her. "We've just been given a prime opportunity to embarrass Niklaus in front of the woman he loves."

"Kol!" Klaus glared.

Caroline flushed. "Maybe I should go..."

"Oh, no. Please, by all means," Kol gestured to an empty chair.

Caroline glanced at Klaus. He squeezed the rim of his nose in frustration. She grinned and took a seat at the table, unable to pass up the chance to see Klaus flustered.

"So what are we playing tonight, Elijah?" Kol asked, gleefully. He folded his hands, grinning innocently. "Notice, I called you by your name?"

Elijah rolled his eyes. "I thought we'd play Scrabble tonight."

"Ah. Rebekah, you can sit this one out," Kol taunted.

"Very funny," she muttered.

"You really don't have to stay for this," Klaus was saying to Caroline.

"Nonsense!" Kol cried. "_I _want her to stay."

"It's fine," Caroline smiled. "I'm actually a really good Scrabble player."

"Are you now?" Klaus smirked. "We'll have to see about that."

"What, you think having a thousand years on me makes you better?"

"It's arguable," he pointed out.

"Enough flirting," Rebekah drawled. "Can we start?"

* * *

After adding an extra chair, Caroline and the Original Family sat at the table, each with their 7 tiles, ready to play. While Elijah set up the score sheet, the others playfully kept trying to see each other's letters.

"We'll just go around the table starting with Klaus," Elijah decided, putting his pen down.

"Why does he get to go first?" Kol argued.

"He always goes first," Rebekah whined in agreement.

"Listen. When you are an all powerful hybrid that cannot be killed, you can go first," Klaus told them. "Until then, accept being second best."

"Just get on with it, Klaus," Elijah urged before anyone could start an argument.

Klaus plucked three tiles from his rack and created the word "FATE" for 11 points. He cast a devious sideways glance at Caroline but she just shook her head, rolling her eyes. With a smug look on her face, Caroline began placing her tiles on the board vertically. Using the A in FATE, she spelled out the word "MAYBE" and counted 13 points.

"Tell me how you really feel," Klaus murmured, making her face redden.

"How cute," Kol leaned his cheek against his fist in mockery. "They're sending each other messages in the game."

Klaus shot him a threatening glare. Kol raised his eyebrows, innocently. Rebekah was beside Klaus and growing annoyed with the theme the game was heading towards. She placed the letters L – O – O – D underneath the B from MAYBE and made the word BLOOD.

"There. That's 16 points," she declared. "Putting _me _in the lead."

"There's a brain in there after all," Klaus teased.

"Wait, let's make sure she spelled it right," Kol joined in.

Rebekah sneered. "Idiots."

"I just got called an idiot by a blonde," Kol put a hand to his chest pretending to be offended.

"Oh you so don't want to start with the blonde jokes," Caroline warned.

"So a blonde walks into a bar - "

"Enough, Kol," Elijah interrupted.

"What? All I was going to say was that she fell down." He paused, the corners of his mouth turning upward. "You know? Because she walked into a bar?"

Caroline and Rebekah sighed in disgust. Ignoring them all and continuing the game, Elijah connected the word OAF to the F and M from FATE and MAYBE. Kol looked on, baffled.

"What the hell is that?" he gestured.

"A word," Elijah responded, dully, counting his points. "Two, actually."

"But you connected them all together, you cheat!"

"Kol, read the rules if you're that worried."

Kol just shook his head and proceeded to take his turn. He had spelled the word TONGUE and attached it to the end of MAYBE. He looked up with a snarky grin.

"As in, what Nik would like to use all over you," he teased Caroline. Her jaw literally dropped in shock.

Klaus rose, infuriated, nostrils flaring. Instead of saying anything, he slammed down his tiles to create the word DEAD.

"As in what you will be in about two seconds," he growled.

Kol raised his hands, defenselessly, backing off.

"Klaus, calm down," Elijah told him. "He just wants to get a rise out of you."

"Hey, it worked. He rose," Kol pointed out, then chuckled at his own pun.

"Shut up, Kol," Elijah glared at him. He wrote something down on the score sheet, then cleared his throat. "Our scores thusfar go: Caroline 13, Klaus 11, Rebekah 16, Kol 16 , and 11 for myself."

Tentatively, Klaus sat back in his seat, hiding his shame from Caroline. She seemed to be resisting the urge to smile.

"And you were worried about me," Rebekah scolded.

* * *

After Klaus's angered placement of the word DEAD, and a brief interlude in the game for some more bickering, it was finally Caroline's turn again. She took the lead by playing the word QUIT for 22 points. Rebekah went next and put down the word VEIN, earning her 14 points.

"I think our sister is hungry tonight," Kol joked.

"She's just brooding," Klaus said. "You know she gets moody when she isn't the center of attention."

"I know you're just trying to bait me," she told them. "It's not going to work."

"Did you hear something?" Kol glanced at Klaus, his eyebrows knit. "I thought I heard a voice..."

"I didn't hear a thing," Klaus played along.

"That's not funny," Rebekah pouted, stubbornly.

"Am I going mad?" Kol's widened his eyes dramatically.

Klaus sighed, dreadfully. "Must be."

"You guys are so mean," Caroline laughed, shaking her head.

"Wait! Now there are TWO voices!" Kol exclaimed.

Klaus grinned. Even Elijah chuckled. "You two have no shame," he said.

"_You _have no sense of fun," Kol reprimanded.

"No, it seems that you've inherited the lot."

"And don't forget my dashing good looks," he straightened up to emphasize.

"You never _let_ us forget," Elijah responded.

"I can't help it. I'm just so damn attractive."

Dismissing Kol's antics, Elijah took his turn. He built on his word OAF by adding an L and then making the word BOWL on top of that for 23 points.

Kol made the word DICK and sat back, quite pleased with himself. He spared a glance over at Caroline and Klaus. "Do I even have to say anything?"

"Please don't," Klaus said, staring threateningly.

"Must you always find a way to corrupt things?" Elijah groaned as he saw the word.

"Look here," Kol tapped the board with his index finger, making the tiles slide. "That word just earned me 39 points. AND it was funny!"

"39? Are you sure?"

"Check, then. There's a triple word thing there."

"He _would_ find a way to get the most points with a dirty word," Rebekah commented.

"What can I say? I'm gifted," Kol smiled proudly.

"I'll tell you what you are," Klaus said, sitting up and putting the letters A-S-S on the board. He sat back with a smirk.

Kol's face went solemn. "Low, Nik. Real low."

Trying to remain inconspicuous, Caroline took her turn to spell the word BITE. Kol and Klaus looked up at her, simultaneously. Even Rebekah raised an eyebrow. She glanced at them all, innocently. Kol huffed, pretending to be annoyed.

"Miss Forbes, we will not tolerate the use of what is supposed to be an innocent family game as a gateway to my brother's pants!" Kol said in his most reprimanding voice.

Caroline was flabbergasted. Klaus, on the other hand, was thoroughly amused. He turned to Caroline with a dark, seductive expression.

"If you wanted me to bite you, all you had to do is ask."

She cocked her head to the side, gazing up at him from beneath her lashes. "Well considering a bite from _you _would just result in a slow, painful death, I think I'll pass."

"Can I bite you, love?" Kol tried, wearing a dazzling smile. "There's not a drop of wolf in me."

Caroline laughed. "No!"

"Get on with it then, Bekah." He clasped his hands together. "Let's keep the fun going."

In response, Rebekah laid her word out – NUDE. They all laughed in tandem and Elijah kept it going by adding in the word GROWL. Kol used his turn to play the word TITS.

"Really?" Caroline asked, sardonically.

"Could you be more juvenile?" Rebekah agreed.

Kol's eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "Says the one who just played NUDE not two minutes ago!"

"Honestly, what's a little tit for tat?" Klaus added.

"That was horrible," Caroline looked up at him, disappointed.

Klaus just smirked and added GRIND to the board. Caroline spelled FEVER which brought her score up to an ironic 69.

"Stop. Right there. You're not allowed to play anymore," Kol teased.

Caroline rolled her eyes, grinning. Rebekah was the one who finally completed the motif by putting down the word SEX.

"Well played, sister," Kol congratulated her. "Well played."

Elijah threw his hands up in defeat. "I give up."

"Already? But you're..." Kol grabbed the score sheet from under Elijah's elbow and read it. "Actually, you're not doing very well." His face scrunched. "Nik why do you only have 32 points?"

"Who's winning?" Caroline asked eagerly.

"Well, Miss 69, it seems our fair Rebekah is in the lead with 74 points."

Caroline's shoulders fell. Elijah jumped up suddenly and began to place letters down, one by one. When he was finished, the word INSANITY was on the board.

"Put down 33 points for that one, Kol. Then tell me who the winner is."

He did. "That brings you to 77, beating Rebekah by a whopping 3 points!"

"I quit," Rebekah stood.

"Quit?" Elijah was puzzled. "But why?"

"Yes, I'm bowing out as well," Klaus agreed, standing. "Shall I walk you home, Miss Forbes?"

"Ah ah. Miss 69," Kol corrected.

Caroline stood too, laughing. "Yes, you shall."

"Can I come?" Kol called after them.

"No," they answered in unison, walking out the front door.

Rebekah glanced at her two remaining brothers. "Come to think of it, I am a little hungry. I think I'll take a walk. Find a bite to eat."

"Wait, Rebekah. Come on. We can still play." Elijah pleaded.

"Mind if I join you?" Kol asked, leaving his seat to go to his sister's side.

"Kol, it's still your turn!" Elijah called as he watched them walk out. He heard the door slam and was suddenly all alone. He sighed, deeply, and began to clean up.

* * *

_Hope you all liked! The next one is going to be more of a Guy's Night Game Night. And that's all I'll say about that! R&R! :)_


	3. Chapter 3: Poker

**Note**

_I apologize that this was delayed. I know I said Friday nights, but I had a bit more trouble with this chapter than the previous two and you'll see proof of that by how deviated from the actual game it becomes. Although, I'm pretty sure no one will mind... _

_Oh! Before I forget (again), if anyone has game ideas they'd like to see, feel free to make a suggestion. I do have a list already of games I plan to execute, however if your idea isn't on the list I will give credit where credit is due. _

_Thank you all for the laughs and the reviews. It means the world to a humble little crazy like me. :) _

* * *

Week 3

On Friday nights, the Original Mansion was slowly becoming the place to be. The discretion of what was supposed to be a specifically family oriented gathering dwindled as more friends and foes made appearances. Elijah relinquished his role as host for the night and let Kol take over. This meant two things – lots of booze, and Poker...

* * *

Save for Rebekah, the Original family was gathered around the table to take part in their weekly ritual. Wine and whiskey was stocked and glasses were undoubtedly poured. Though he wasn't the host, Elijah had been dubbed the dealer, so he sat shuffling the cards in an expert dealer fashion. In the midst of sorting out the poker chips, the doorbell rang. Seeing as she wasn't invited to this particular Family Game Night, Rebekah emerged from her sulking and went off to answer it. Making her already miserable night worse, she was faced with Elena and Caroline at the door.

"I presume you're looking for your boyfriends," she turned the question into a statement.

"He's _not _my boyfriend," Caroline stressed. "Wait. Boyfriends, as in plural?"

She glanced at Elena who looked just as clueless as she did. Rebekah gave them a disparaging look and led the pair into the house. They followed her to the sitting room where she hung back against the doorway, letting them enter. They walked in and found Elijah, Klaus, Kol and – surprisingly – Damon and Stefan all sitting around what looked to be a hexagonal poker table complete with green felt and slots to place the chips in. Elena turned to her friend extremely confused.

"Family Game Night," Caroline explained.

"You're kidding."

"Nope. And it looks like tonight's game is Poker," she said, eyeing the setup.

"This really happens? Every week?"

"Believe me when I say I wish it didn't," Rebekah said from behind them.

"So how come we weren't invited?" Caroline asked loudly, making their presence known.

All of the men looked up. Most of them smiled, but none of them were genuine about it.

"Sorry ladies. This is a gentlemen's game," Klaus apologized.

"Just a second, Nik. We could make it interesting," Kol suggested, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Strip poker anyone?"

Both Stefan and Damon swiveled to look at Elena, intrigued. She gave them both a wry look.

"Not a chance."

"What about you, pet?" Kol asked, referring to Caroline.

"Yeah, no," she shook her head, grimacing. "There is nothing here that I want to see."

"Ooh. Cocky one, aren't we?"

"You shouldn't lie to yourself, sweetheart," Klaus grinned. "It's bad for your health."

"Good thing I'm already dead then, huh?" she smiled sweetly.

"Undead, technically," Damon pointed out.

"Thanks for the reminder," Caroline replied, bitterly.

"Look, if you're not going to strip then what use are you?" Kol asked. "Either get naked and dance, or leave."

"Excuse me?" Her eyes widened in shock. Elena was beside her, mirroring the expression.

"I'd need to be entertained somehow considering my brother would literally kill me if I touched you."

"I'd kill you myself, first."

"No, you wouldn't."

"Why, because you're older and stronger?"

"No." A devilish smirk spread across his face. "Because if I _were _to touch you, you'd fall instantly, madly and deeply in love with me." Caroline rolled her eyes making his grin even wider. "Shall we test the theory?"

"Not in a million years."

"A million and one, then. I can wait."

She sighed, exasperatedly. "I hate you Kol."

"Didn't you hear? Lying is bad for your health," he mocked his brother's eloquence.

"Enough, Kol," Klaus said shooting him a threatening look. "Let the ladies leave so we can get on with the game."

"This is guys night, anyway," Damon piped up. "Why are you even here?"

"Could ask you the same question," Elena muttered.

"We just came to see if Rebekah wanted to hang with us," Caroline explained.

Rebekah sniggered at the thought. "Why would I want to spend the night with you two? I don't _like_ either of you."

Caroline arched an eyebrow. "You really want to sit here in this testosterone pit all night?"

Rebekah's eyebrows raised in consideration. "Now that you mention it, I think I'd rather be staked."

"Been there, done that," Kol said, dully. "Not a pleasant experience." His eyes flicked up to Damon, shooting him death glares.

"Aw. Is someone having flashbacks of their epic beatdown?" Damon taunted. "I'll gladly refresh your memory."

"I still have that bat. You remember how it felt against your head, don't you?" Kol shot back.

"Right. Get me out of here," Rebekah begged the girls.

They all waved their good-byes and retreated.

"Have her back by curfew!" Klaus called, teasingly.

"And no boys!" Kol added.

"Go dagger yourself, Kol!" Rebekah shouted as she walked out the door.

"Sounds kinky," Stefan muttered a little too loudly. All wide eyes turned to him in silence. He looked up, innocently. "What?"

* * *

After another round of whiskey, the game of Texas Hold 'Em finally began. Each vampire was dealt their two cards and the blinds were paid. Elijah laid out the first three cards – King of spades, 10 of clubs, and 7 of diamonds. He sat back solemnly waiting for the bets to begin.

"What do you think they're up to?" Stefan asked, referring to the girls. He placed a bet of $10.

"Why do you care?" Damon said, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I don't. Just the three of them together is kind of amusing."

"Rebekah may very well kill them tonight," Kol agreed, calling the bet.

"She won't," Klaus said assuredly, raising $20. "She knows what would happen if she did."

"Right. If she ever laid a hand on your sweet little kitten," Kol mused, "you would end her."

"Can we please stop talking about the girls?" Damon begged, irritably, calling the bet. "We're here to get drunk and play cards. How about we do that?"

"Agreed," Kol said, slapping the table. "You were invited to get your rears served to you on a silver platter, and that they will."

Once all the bets were even, Elijah laid down the next card: King of Clubs. There were two kings on the table now, giving them all at the very least, a pair.

"Why _did _you invite us over?" Stefan said with a pretentious smirk putting down a $20 bet. "I'm very interested to know."

"Me too," Damon also smirked.

"Can't a few vampires play a friendly game of cards?" Klaus said with an innocent smirk. He followed suit with Kol and called the $20 bet.

"There's nothing friendly about this," Stefan shook his head.

"Here's a better question," Kol looked up. "Why did you agree to come?"

"And pass up a chance to clean out the Original brothers?" Damon snickered, raising $50.

Stefan folded and Kol beamed at his brothers as he raised Damon another $25.

"He thinks he actually stands a chance. How adorable."

Klaus dimpled, calling. Damon's eyes narrowed and he raised the pot $300. Stefan's eyebrows shot skyward.

"That's a big bet, Damon."

"Go big or go home, right brother?"

"The problem with you Salvatores is that you think you can't be beaten," Klaus said, matching Damon's bet. "When in reality, we've proven you wrong countless times."

Kol silently folded. Elijah laid down the river card: 6 of diamonds. The table read: K of spades, 10 of clubs, 7 of diamonds, K of clubs and 6 of diamonds.

"The problem with you Mikaelsons," Damon said in mockery, adding another $150 to the pot, "is that you're all jackasses."

Klaus laughed and called. "We'll just have to see who's right."

He flipped his cards revealing the King of hearts and a 10 of hearts – he had a full house. Damon turned his cars over, begrudgingly. He had a 10 of spades and a 4 of hearts giving him only one pair.

Stefan sat back against his seat groaning. "You bet on a pair of 10s?"

"I thought he was bluffing," Damon gestured to Klaus.

"Lesson one, boys," Kol said, tipping his half-empty glass toward them. "My brother does not bluff."

Klaus grinned triumphantly as he gathered his winnings. "Not in cards, anyway."

* * *

By the fifth hand, the scales were tipped highly in the Mikaelson's favor. Klaus had been doing the majority of winning. Tension was sky high.

"It's your bet, Kol," Stefan said, morosely.

Kol shoved forth the remainder of his chips. "All in," he declared.

Everyone at the table groaned. Kol looked around, startled.

"What?"

"You can't keep going 'All In', Kol," Klaus said.

"Why not? I just won the last two hands by doing so."

"Only because no one wants to sacrifice that amount," Elijah clarified.

"Well where's the excitement of gambling?"

"When you learn to gamble, you'll figure it out," Damon commented, snidely.

"Judging by your lack of chips, I'd say I'm doing well enough," Kol smiled sweetly.

"All right. If you really want to lose all of your money," Klaus smirked, matching his brother's amount.

"Look. Only an idiot goes all in on a pair of 2s," Damon gestured to the cards on the table, growing agitated.

"What's the matter, Damon? Don't have quite enough to match it?" Kol grinned, satisfactorily. "I'm sure Nik could front you the remainder."

Damon narrowed his eyes. He angrily pushed what he had left of his chips into the pot. Stefan shook his head in disapproval. Kol rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Put up or shut up, boys," he said, flipping over his cards: Jack of hearts and 2 of clubs. He had three of a kind.

Damon got up in a fluster, his chair falling backward behind him. Instead of revealing his cards, he went to find himself another drink. Stefan flipped Damon's cards over – 4 of spades and 3 of clubs; he had nothing. Kol glanced at Klaus, his eyes prematurely victorious.

"Well brother?"

Klaus let out a small hmmph sound in amusement. He revealed the fourth 2 of the deck and the Ace of spades. Kol's face dropped, instantly.

"Tough break, baby brother," Klaus dimpled.

"That is absolute injustice. I demand a recount!" he cried.

"This is a card game, Kol, not an election," Elijah rolled his eyes.

"You cheated," he accused Klaus.

Klaus snickered. "After a thousand years, you really think I don't know your tell?"

Kol closed his mouth, rendered speechless. "That's not fair."

"That's life." Seeing Kol sulking, Klaus rolled his eyes. "Don't be a sore loser. One is enough."

And speaking of the devil, Damon reappeared carrying four different bottles of alcohol and four shot glasses. He raised his eyebrows, deviously.

"At least you Originals have good taste in liquor."

* * *

After a while, the game became irrelevant and the booze became predominant. Music was blasting – a weird mix of techno and house. Damon was still sitting at the card table with Elijah, pouring one shot after the other for the Original in an effort to get him drunk. Elijah kept shaking his head in refusal each time but downed every shot anyway. Kol was _on top _of the table, tipsy and dancing, oblivious to what was going on around (and below) him.

In another world completely, Klaus and Stefan were on the couch. Klaus had his arm around Stefan's shoulders in a brotherly way. The whiskey sloshed against the sides of the glass he held in his free hand, spilling every few seconds as he spoke.

"I'm just saying, I wouldn't _actually _kill you. Your brother?" He waved his hand and the glass around, carelessly. "Stake directly to the heart. But you? You're my mate. And mates are for life." He cracked up at himself. "God, I sound so fruity." He downed the rest of his alcohol in one shot.

"No, no," Stefan laughed. "I totally get what you mean. It's like...what happened then, and what happened now...doesn't matter. It's all...done."

"Yes!" Klaus shouted in an epiphany. "Exactly! You see, this is why I kept you around in the 20s."

"I'll drink to that," Stefan grinned, pouring them both another glass of whiskey.

They clanked in cheers and downed their drinks. Klaus settled back against the couch, extending his legs in front of him, and folding his hands in his lap. Stefan let out a troubled sigh, wringing his hands as he hunched at the edge of the couch.

"Do you think Elena loves him, Klaus?"

"Who?" Klaus asked, caught off guard.

"Damon."

"Yes," he nodded, adamantly. "Wait. Who are we talking about now?"

"Elena. Do you think she loves Damon?"

Klaus sat up at the edge, joining his 'friend'. "Let me ask you something, mate. Why do you trouble yourself with her when you could get any woman you wanted?"

Stefan just shook his head. "I don't want to compel someone to love me, Klaus."

"I wasn't referring to that." Stefan raised a dubious eyebrow. "I have no idea why I'm telling you this, and I'll likely blame it on the whiskey later, but you're my mate and I think you need to hear it." He looked Stefan directly in the eye, then. "You are an attractive vampire, Stefan Salvatore."

Stefan stared up at him with wide eyes. "What?"

"Oh. No. I didn't mean it like that!"

"But what about Caroline?" Stefan teased with a smirk.

"Very funny," Klaus brooded.

"Seriously, though, I don't know what to say."

"Look. The point I'm trying to make is don't waste your time on her when there are plenty of other options."

Stefan nodded, intently. "You're right. I shouldn't just put all my chickens in one egg or count my eggs before the baskets, or..." He trailed, his eyes glossed. "What was I saying?"

"I haven't the faintest clue," Klaus admitted. They both burst out laughing.

Kol, in the meantime, had finally hopped off the card table as soon as one of the songs ended.

"Bloody hot in here!" he exclaimed to no one in particular, ridding himself of his shirt. His eyes darted around the room, frantically. "Where the bloody hell is my drink!?"

In his search for his glass, he caught sight of Klaus and Stefan looking too close for comfort. Intrigued, he approached the pair.

"Are you two going to sit there and continue your homoerotic bromance or are you going to join in the fun?" They stared up at him like deer in headlights. He rolled his eyes. "Right then. Carry on."

His eyes drifted toward the table in his continued search for his drink. Spying Damon and Elijah up to no good, he stormed over to the card table, pressing his hands down flat upon it with force.

"What in the hell are you doing?"

Damon downed another shot with Elijah. They both winced and exhaled in unison afterward.

"Getting your brother hammered," Damon said simply, pouring two more shots.

Kol glanced at his brother who had a goofy grin plastered to his face. He blinked three or four times before he realized Kol was in front of him.

"Have you ever played this game, Kol?"

"What game is that?"

"One for me, One for you."

Kol groaned, narrowing his eyes at Damon. "Brilliant. Thank you for inebriating my brother against his own will."

"Oh pipe down, small fry," Damon rolled his eyes. "He's clearly enjoying it."

He gestured to Elijah who was swaying to the music in his seat. "My head feels light. Like it could float away if it wasn't attached."

"Good god," Kol snickered. "How many shots did you give him?"

"I lost count," Damon answered after downing another shot himself. He tried to remember, making it clear that he wasn't entirely sober himself. "Ten? Twelve? Twenty?" He shrugged it off. "Something with a T."

Elijah was suddenly up and embracing Kol from behind. Kol stiffened in fear and a bit in repulsion.

"Have I told you how much I love you, Kol?"

"Not...lately," he answered, warily.

"Well I do."

"That's wonderful, Lij," Kol began to pull away, disgusted by his brother's whiskey breath.

"In fact," he released his brother, instantly, "I love everyone here! Even you, Klaus."

Klaus looked up from his conversation with Stefan. "Even me what?"

"I love you."

Klaus blinked, completely floored. "Kol, what did you do?"

"It wasn't me!"

"I suddenly have this overbearing urge to dance to this horrible music," Elijah mused, confusedly.

Klaus burst into hysterical laughter. "How much did you drink, brother!?"

"A lot." He clumsily whooshed over to the radio and raised the volume. "Now get up and let's dance."

Klaus gazed at his brother in shock. Damon rose to stand beside Kol as they watched Elijah glide toward the center of the room. As it turned out, Elijah had absolutely no rhythm or sense of coordination. That, or he was seriously _seriously _impaired. Likely, it was the latter.

Kol laughed, heartily. "Oh this is golden. Why did I not invest in a camera?"

"Kol!" Elijah called out. "Dance with me!"

And he did. Not too long after, Damon had joined them. Klaus and Stefan remained as they were, in a deep and incredibly senseless heart to heart.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the party in the living room, the front door opened and the three girls poured into the house. They all glanced at each other in confusion at hearing the music. Rebekah led the way to the living room and came to a dead halt. Caroline and Elena maneuvered around her to catch a glimpse. Three shirtless vampires danced in the center of the room and two others were kanoodling on the couch.

"Oh, you see?" Caroline raised a disappointed arm toward the room. "This is why I wish we were invited."


	4. Chapter 4: Truth or Dare

_D'oh! I did it again! I'm updating right on the cusp of Friday and Saturday. My sincerest apologies lovelies, I just had a lot of difficulty with this one.  
It's really not my personal favorite, at all. I don't think it's quite as silly as the others, but it has its redeeming qualities. Or, at least I'm hoping._

_As always, thank you lots for reading and reviewing, favoriting and following. Always a motivator and always makes me grin a goofy grin. :) Enjoy!_

* * *

Week 4

For the fourth consecutive week, Family Game Night was on. After the mishap with Elijah the previous week, the Salvatores hadn't been invited back. In truth, Elijah was the only one who had protested their attendance, and, as he was initiator of FGN, he deemed his word final.

On the other hand, Caroline _had_ been invited this time, through sheer force of will. Elena tagged along too, since she was overall intrigued by the notion of the Originals having a Family Game Night, not to mention the displays from last week.

It was Rebekah's turn to decide on a game, and after careful consideration, and taking into account their two guests, she chose Truth or Dare. Kol's eyes gleamed at the prospect and he retired to the sitting room to conspire, worrying just about every one of his siblings.

Upon showing up, Caroline volunteered to help Klaus divvy out the alcohol, as it was becoming a staple for game nights, leaving Elena to chat up Elijah. Kol watched for the first few minutes from his seat on the couch, intrigued by his brother's interest in the latest Petrova, but quickly grew bored at their failing attempts at flirtation. He pulled his phone out and began playing "Temple Run", tuning out the conversation...

"Where did you even get the idea to do a Family Game Night?" Elena was wondering.

Elijah shrugged with a bashful grin. "Google."

She laughed in amusement. "I shouldn't be surprised, but I am."

"Just because I'm old doesn't mean I can't stay with the times."

"And you really thought it would work? The game night, I mean."

"It has its flaws – namely Kol – but it always makes for an interesting night."

"Heard my name," Kol said, without looking up from his phone.

But they ignored him. Huffing, Rebekah resigned to the couch with a bored flop, right beside Kol.

"They're far too interested in each other to care about you, Kol."

"Shame, that," he said. "I'm more interesting than the two combined."

"Vomit," she remarked. After a brief silence, she sighed. "This is taking too long."

"Do something about it," Kol suggested, still focused on his phone.

"Fine. I'm starting!" Rebekah announced. She turned to her side. "Kol, truth or dare?"

He sat up, putting his phone back into his pocket and smirked. "Dare."

"All right." Her eyes sparkled with humor and she contemplated. Elena and Elijah, in the meantime, had sauntered over to take part. "I dare you to proclaim your undying devotion to the next person who walks into the room."

Kol glanced at the doorway and heard Caroline approaching. Kol's face lit up. Sure enough, she appeared with Klaus at her heels carrying a tray of drinks.

"This is far too easy," Kol mumbled.

"Drinks are up!" Caroline announced cheerfully.

In the blink of an eye he was on bended knee in front of Caroline, taking her hand in his. He gazed up at her adoringly. Klaus looked on, repulsed.

"Kol, what on earth are you doing?"

"Caroline Forbes," he began, ignoring his brother, "I must tell you, as I cannot hold it in any longer or I shall die." He stopped for dramatic affect and those behind him were snickering. "I am truly, madly in love with you."

Caroline's eyes widened in horror. "_Wha_t?"

"From the moment I saw you, I was yours and knew I had to have you," he stood, suddenly pulling her close. She let out a startled gasp. "To hold you." He drew her face to his and she grimaced. "To taste you."

Before he could lean any closer, Klaus gripped his brother's collar and tore him away in a fit of fury.

"Do you _have _a death wish?" he snarled.

"But I love her!" he cried, staying in character.

"Oh my god," Caroline muttered, hiding her face.

"Please, darling. I'll do anything!"

He lunged for her again but Klaus held him back. He noticed the gleam in Kol's eyes as he fought not to laugh, and groaned. "All right. Who dared him?"

The room erupted into laughter while Caroline looked up, humiliated. "This was a _dare_?"

"Sorry, Care," Elena said, still laughing.

She frowned."You all suck."

"Yes, we do," Kol smirked before he returned to his seat.

"Well done, Kol," Rebekah praised.

He bowed, mockingly, winking in Caroline's direction. She shot him a dirty look as she and Klaus joined the party.

"Whose turn is it?" Klaus wondered aloud.

"My turn," Kol answered, gleefully. "Caroline, truth or dare, love?"

She narrowed her eyes in a glare. "_Dare_."

His smile widened. "You do realize you just chose dare, don't you?" She peered, cynically. He began to rub his chin, pretentiously. "What do I want you to do?" A wicked smile spread across his face. "I dare you to compel two humans to fight to the death."

Caroline chortled. "Are you serious? No way."

"Can't back out on a dare, sweets."

"I am not being an accomplice to murder."

"Spoilsport," he frowned. "Then, how about you...compel two females to perform a strip tease. No – wait!" His eyes darkened. "_You_ do it."

"Kol," Klaus warned. "Boundaries."

"A dare's a dare, brother. Besides, this will benefit you too."

"What is this, pick on Caroline night?" she scoffed.

"_You_ wanted the invite," Rebekah pointed out.

Caroline stood. "I'm getting another drink. I get the feeling one won't be enough."

"Whatever helps you get your clothes off!" Kol called after her.

* * *

"Rebekah, truth or dare?"

It was Elena who asked. Good friend that she was, she knew that Caroline would only continue to refuse Kol's dare of performing a strip tease so she decided the best way to avoid it escalating was to just continue the game and hope everyone forgot.

"Truth."

"Why _did _you sleep with Damon?"

"Will I never live that down?" she grumbled.

A wave of "no"'s and "not likely"s echoed through the room. Rebekah glared at all of them.

"Dare you to sleep with him again," Kol smiled sweetly.

"I chose _truth_," she sneered. "And I only slept with him out of pity."

"Yeah, pity for yourself."

She took her heeled shoe off and threw it at Kol. He shielded himself, letting his arms take the hit.

"Ow!" he glowered.

"Caroline, Truth or Dare?" Rebekah asked, changing the subject.

"Truth," Caroline shrugged.

Rebekah grinned, evilly, turning toward Caroline. "Is it true you have feelings for my brother?"

Klaus choked on his drink making Rebekah smile wider. Caroline's jaw had dropped.

"That's not fair."

"What's unfair about it? You chose truth."

Caroline looked to Klaus for help, but he just smirked. "I'd actually be quite interested to hear the answer."

She slumped in her seat, groaning. "What if I don't want to answer?"

"Then you have to do a dare," Rebekah grinned, evilly.

"Can I know the dare before I decide?"

"No," Rebekah scoffed, Kol and Klaus echoing her.

"This is so not fair. You can't make me say how I feel."

"That's how the game works."

"Well then I don't want to play anymore," she pouted.

"Oh come on, doll," Kol badgered. "We all know the answer already. Just say it."

"No."

"Fine," Rebekah shrugged. "Dare it is."

"Fine," Caroline accepted, begrudgingly.

"I dare you to tell us how you feel about Nik," Rebekah smirked.

"Oh come on!"

"Bloody brilliant," Kol laughed.

Rebekah grinned, proudly. "Well?"

Caroline's mean girl grin appeared. "Okay. I can't stand your brother. That's how I feel."

"That isn't what I asked."

"Well, that's my answer," she said, stubbornly.

"Oh, you love him and just don't want to admit it," Kol rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, Kol," she glared.

"Isn't deflection a defense mechanism?" Elijah pondered with a smirk.

"Fine, okay? _I like Klaus!_ There," her arms flailed skyward. "I said it!"

"Wow," Elena muttered, averting her disapproving eyes.

"And here I thought we'd be waiting a century to hear that one," Kol teased, finishing off his drink. "Anyone for seconds?"

While Kol excused himself to grab more drinks for the group, Caroline pouted, folding her arms, and sulked at the fact that someone had finally gotten her to admit to her feelings. Klaus leaned in close, dimpling.

"Was that so hard?" he murmured in her ear.

"Don't let it go to your head," she said, snidely.

He glanced down at his jeans, then back up at her wearing his trademark roguish smile. "Too late."

"Anyone for shots?" Kol reappeared. "Eliiiiijah?"

* * *

Two shots apiece later, the game resumed. It was technically Caroline's turn to ask, but she forfeited her turn in exchange for her drink. In an effort to bring her out of her mood, Klaus turned his plotting gaze to Elena.

"Elena, truth or dare?"

She pressed her lips together. "Truth."

"If you had to choose, Damon or Stefan?"

Her eyes narrowed. "Go to hell."

He chuckled. "That's not an answer."

"I am _not _answering that."

"Because you can't?" Rebekah teased.

"Because it's none of your business."

"Oh come on," Caroline begged, finally lightening up. "If I had to answer, so do you!"

"I think she should choose Damon," Klaus offered his two cents.

"No way!" Caroline refuted. "Damon's too much of a jerk. She was perfect with Stefan."

"I agree," Kol chimed in, playfully. "They were _so_ OTP."

"OTP?" Elijah asked, curiously.

"One True Pairing," Caroline filled him in.

"Ah."

"Stefan's under the assumption that she loves Damon though," Klaus reminded them. "He's already given up."

Caroline narrowed her eyes. "You think one drunken night with him means you know everything? Read a romance novel. They'll wind up together in the end."

"Personally, I don't think either one is a suitable match," Elijah said, joining the debate.

Rebekah stared at him, intrigued. "Why? Who did you have in mind?"

Elijah's face contorted into an awkward smile. "No one."

"Are you guys seriously discussing my love life right now with me sitting right here?" Elena was appalled.

"Well, if you'd just answer the question," Klaus told her.

"Just answer," Kol urged.

"And be honest!" Klaus added.

"No lying, Elena," Rebekah continued the pattern.

"And no takebacks," Kol reminded.

"Just one name," Klaus continued.

Rebekah nodded. "It's simple, really."

"Damon or Stefan?"

By now, Elena's head was reeling. "I CAN'T!" They all quieted, stunned. "I love them both."

"But if you _had _to?" Rebekah urged. "If you were dying and you could only be with one of them for your last breath, who would it be?"

Elena sighed. "I really don't know."

Klaus sat forward, steepling his fingers. "_I think_ if she can't choose one, she isn't really in love with either of them."

"Oooh. Interesting," Caroline crooned. "Elena? Input?"

"Can we just get on with the game?" she asked miserably.

"Yes," Elijah agreed. "Let's."

Spying the friction between the two, Rebekah hatched an idea. Her evil grin was back with a vengeance.

"Okay, Elena," Rebekah began. "Truth or dare?"

"But I just went."

She shrugged. "So go again."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Dare," she chose, contemptuously.

Rebekah's shone with delight. "I dare you to kiss Elijah."

Both Elijah and Elena's eyes widened. "What?" she laughed, nervously.

"You heard me."

"Um, okay. Random," Caroline remarked from the sidelines.

Elena and Elijah glanced at each other, unsure of what to do.

"A dare is a dare, Elena," Rebekah reminded her.

Elena glanced at Elijah again. He raised an eyebrow, but suddenly seemed more at ease with the notion. She rolled her eyes and sighed in defeat. She walked over to where he was standing and nervously looked up at him. He seemed almost eager, now, eyes bright. She leaned in and barely let her lips touch his in a soft kiss, surprised to feel him kissing her back. Just as she began to pull away, Elijah grabbed the back of her head, gripping her hair as he kissed her more forcefully. Elena's eyes flew open wide. A small grunt escaped him and her eyes fluttered back closed as she gave into it. After another minute, he finally released her. They were both gasping for air and avoiding eye contact with one another.

Everyone was staring at the two, aghast, but it was Caroline who said it.

"What the hell was that?"

* * *

While the game was on pause to refresh drinks, yet again, Caroline managed to pull Elena into the hallway for an interrogation.

"You want to tell me what that was about?"

"They're vampires, Caroline. They can hear us anywhere in the house."

"Don't deviate, Elena. I'm onto you."

"What are you talking about?"

"That kiss with Elijah? You've got the hots for the Original big brother."

She shook her head. "That's ridiculous. I do not have the hots for Elijah."

"Tell it to his lips."

"Okay, I'm so done with this conversation."

"Fine, but you're only proving me right." She called after her, "Denial is a girl's worse enemy, Elena!"

But Elena was already gone. Caroline retreated back into the room to resume the game. When they sat back down, she had tilted her head and gazed at Elijah, conspiringly. Since everyone was distracted with drinks and wondering what had just happened, Caroline seized the opportunity.

"Elijah, truth or dare."

And like that, the attention of the room was back. Elijah blinked, appearing unmoved by the events of the last few minutes. He gave a slight roll of his shoulders.

"Truth."

"Do you have the hots for Elena?"

"Caroline!" Elena hissed.

"What? After a kiss like that, I have to know!"

"Don't mind her, Elijah," Elena said, apologetically. "I think some of the bleach seeped into her brain."

"Hey! You _know _my hair isn't dyed, Elena. How dare you."

"Yeah? Then what's _your _excuse?"

"Seriously?!"

"Catfight," Kol cheered, tipsily. "Rrow!"

"Ladies, please," Elijah intervened. "I'll answer the question."

"Yes, please do," Caroline begged.

"No, don't," Elena said, alternatively.

"Why?" Kol inquired. "Afraid you might have 3 vampires to not choose then?"

"It's no secret that Elijah is obsessed with the Petrovas," Klaus threw in his two cents. "Why should Elena be an exception?"

"I'm leaving," Elena stood.

"Party pooper!" Kol called as she walked out.

"Come on! Elena!" Caroline started after her.

"Hey Nik, truth or dare?" Kol asked, drunkenly.

Klaus glanced at his brother, lazily. "Dare."

"Dare you to resire your hybrid flunky, Tyler Lockwood."

"What!?" Caroline's head snapped back halfway to the archway.

"Done," Klaus grinned, triumphantly.

"You _can't_!" she cried, stomping her foot.

"Is that even possible?" Rebekah wondered aloud.

"Only one way to find out," Klaus rose from his seat.

"No!"

Caroline held him back, tugging the edge of his shirt as he brushed past her. He turned around and she released him.

"A dare's a dare, love," he reasoned.

"Please! I'll...I'll..."

"You'll what?"

His eyes sparkled with intrigue. She stared, open-mouthed, realizing she was caught.

"Go on. Finish your sentence, sweetheart."

Her shoulders slumped in defeat. "Forget it."

"Don't do that," Kol chided. "It was just getting good."

"It was only a joke, love," Klaus told her.

She scowled at the two. "I hate you both!"

"You're adorable when you're mad," Klaus teased.

"Oh go cuddle with Stefan!"

His eyebrows shot up as she stormed out of the room toward the front door.

"Hey!" Kol called. "You still owe me a strip tease!"

The door slammed in response.


	5. Chapter 5: Pictionary

_**angelvasilis1997** – That's a great one! I can't believe I didn't think to do that. Going on my list. _

**In the words of Elijah, "O.M.G." I love all of you! All the reviews amuse the heck out of me.**  
**I'm so glad to see so many people liking this story, even when I'm doubting myself at times.**  
**Thank you all for giving me the reassurance and motivation to continue!**  
**And for continuing to read, follow, favorite, and review. It means the world – no, no. It means the universe to me!_  
_**

* * *

_Ugh! I'm so terrible getting this updated on time. But at least I'm feeling much better about this chapter than the last. And they just keep getting longer! Also, I may or may not have altered the game play of this one a little bit just to suit my fancy. Hope no one minds!_

_Game suggestions are still welcome, by the way. In case anyone had some good ones. :_)

* * *

Week 5

Friday night rolled around quicker than usual. In the kitchen of the Original mansion, Klaus was rummaging through the fridge while Kol was engrossed in playing "Temple Run" on his phone. It had become his newest obsession. Rebekah sat at the island, swiveling on one of the barstools while reading _her _newest obsession - "50 Shades of Grey". After obtaining a blood bag, Klaus straightened and stared at his siblings with disapproval.

"What are we going to do with the two of you?"

They both 'hmm'ed in response. Klaus just shook his head in disdain and fumbled through cabinets until he found a glass. He leaned back against the counter, savoring each sip.

"Sex," Rebekah said suddenly.

Klaus glanced at her, then nodded. "Yes, that would be a decent alternative, I suppose."

Rebekah slammed the book down on the island counter. "This book is completely about sex."

"So I've heard." She raised a curious eyebrow while he took another sip. "Caroline," he explained.

She gave a slight nod of her head in understanding. "Well, your girlfriend-to-be has horrible taste in reading material."

"Yes, that's something I'm hoping to remedy once she stops being so stubborn."

"It's not even well-written," Rebekah continued.

"You've been reading the book all week long, refusing to put it down!"

"Because I kept hoping there would be something good in it. Honestly, I just don't see the appeal."

"Kinky sex," Kol shrugged, his face strained as he unnecessarily swayed in direction with the game on his screen.

"What's kinky about a riding crop or a flogger?" she drawled.

Klaus stared at her, repressing the urge to make a comment. Even Kol looked up, stunned. She glanced back and forth between her brothers and shrugged.

"After a thousand years, plain sex gets old. You find ways to make it more interesting."

"Well." Klaus stared down at the crimson liquid in his glass. "This has become sufficiently awkward."

Kol put his phone on the counter, resting his hand protectively over it. "Maybe _you _should read the book, Nik," he suggested. "Pick up some tips for Caroline."

"I'll pretend you didn't just say that," Klaus muttered.

"Or maybe I'll read it. One of us should be well versed in pleasing her," he teased, picking his phone back up.

Klaus smiled smugly, dimples showing. "Trust me, Kol. I don't need a book to teach me to pleasure a woman."

But Kol was already back to "Temple Run". Klaus shook his head and Rebekah scoffed in disgust.

"What is it with you and that game? You've been playing it for days."

"Yes, and I now hold the highest record on every scoreboard."

"Then what purpose does it serve to continue?" Klaus inquired.

"Just maintaing my title, is all."

"As king of the idiots," Rebekah quipped.

"Better than Queen Strumpet," he shot back.

She leapt across the island with immense agility, aspiring to steal his cell phone but Kol had already left his seat. He was leaning against the doorway, smirking and holding up his phone.

"Fetch, bitch."

Rebekah's eyes burned with fury. As soon as she made a movement, Kol zoomed out of the room, running almost directly into Elijah who had just walked in the front door, a red box tucked under his arm. Kol stopped himself, taking in his brother's appearance with curiosity. He looked as he always did – hair neatly combed and styled, fitted black suit, shined shoes, phlegmatic demeanor. But something was off about him. His eyes were brighter than normal, or something.

"And where were you, pray tell, brother?" Kol asked, folding his arms in a reprimanding manner.

Elijah's usual stolid expression faltered in the slightest. "Out."

Without another word, he brushed past Kol and into the sitting room. Kol followed, Klaus and a still annoyed Rebekah tailing him. Elijah placed the box he had under his arm on the table. Labeled in large letters was the word 'Pictionary'. The three looked down at the box then back up to their brother simultaneously. He shrugged, nonchalantly.

"Sorry I'm late," he smirked. "Had to find a game."

"God. Elijah. Why are you wearing so much cologne?" Rebekah grimaced, waving away the wafting scent.

"He's hiding something," Kol told her, eyes narrowed suspiciously at his brother. "I just haven't figured out what...yet."

"I'm not hiding anything," Elijah said very calmly. "Now are we going to get on with the game or what?"

"What on earth is - " Rebekah paused to read the box, "Pictionary?"

Elijah's shoulders eased in relief. "I'm told it's similar to Charades. Only instead of acting out clues, you draw them."

"And who told you?" Kol pried.

"Figure of speech," Elijah quickly responded, his eyes turning cool.

Klaus fell into the couch with a smug grin. "You may as well all forfeit now," he boasted. "My artistic prowess is a force to be reckoned with."

Kol rolled his eyes, taking a seat in the armchair. "Oh prowess, shmowess."

"Linguistics as well, then," Klaus added, wittily, relaxing his arm over the back of the couch.

Rebekah joined him while Elijah sorted out the contents of the box.

"I thought we could do it in teams," Elijah looked up, smiling hopefully.

"Why teams? I don't want to be on anyone's team," Rebekah whined.

"Correction," Kol held up his index finger. "No one wants to be on _your _team."

"Who asked you?!"

"Clearly you and Kol cannot be teammates, so_ I'll _partner with Kol," Klaus said in an attempt to end the fight before it started.

"Fine," she accepted. "Elijah and I are going to beat you to a pulp."

"Empty threats, darling," Klaus taunted. "Who's the artist here?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes. She nodded at the game board on the table. "So what's that for?"

Elijah scanned through the directions. "Well there are a few different words on the cards. Whichever color you land on is the word you have to draw." He read further. "If you guess the drawing correctly before time is up, you draw another card and go again. If not - "

"Wait, wait, wait," Klaus interrupted, waving his hands frantically. "A time limit?"

Elijah gestured to the hourglass Rebekah was turning in her hands. "You have until the sand runs out to guess."

Klaus's eyes nearly left his head. "That's hardly even a minute's worth of time."

"If you do not guess at the end of the time," Elijah continued, "then the die goes to the opposing team and they take their turn. The first to the end is the winner. Hm. Easy enough." He dropped the directions back into the box and looked up at Klaus expectantly. "We'll need something to draw on."

* * *

After a quick trip to his study, Klaus began to set up a rather large easel and an equally enormous sketch pad on one side of the sitting room. Rebekah and Elijah had moved to the couch on the left side while Kol lounged, still playing "Temple Run", on the other.

"Would you get off your phone, Kol?" Elijah scolded. "Your game can wait."

"Just a second," he muttered.

"No, now."

"Patience, Daddy 'Lijah," he smirked without looking up.

Elijah groaned. "Don't start that up again."

Klaus zoomed in front of him and ripped the phone from his hands. Kol scowled, childishly.

"I was about to beat my record!"

"And now you're not."

Klaus tucked the phone into his back pocket for safe-keeping, and adding to that, sat down on the couch. The phone was officially trapped.

"Buzz kill," Kol grumbled.

"Okay. We roll to see which team goes first."

Elijah picked up the dice and rolled a 4. Klaus rolled a 5. He moved their game piece 5 spaces and picked a card. Picking up one of the markers from the table, he readied himself at the easel to begin his first masterpiece. Elijah flipped the hourglass and Klaus began artfully sketching two large circles. He began shading one in slowly, taking his time to properly create the effect.

"You have to give me more than two circles, Nik," Kol told him. "That could be anything. Breasts, testicles..."

"Oh get your mind out of the gutter," Klaus told him, still drawing.

"No talking," Rebekah chided.

Just as Klaus began to add features, Elijah called out, "Time's up!"

"What!?" Klaus whipped around. "But I haven't even drawn anything!"

"It's not about perfection, Klaus," Eijah chuckled.

"That's ridiculous. How is anyone supposed to draw a decent picture in such a short amount of time?"

"That's the point."

"It's bubbles, right?" Kol guessed, jokingly.

Klaus's eyes narrowed as he slumped back onto the couch. "No, Kol. It's not _bubbles_."

"It'd be the best drawing of bubbles I've seen, if so," he continued.

"Just shut up."

It was Elijah's turn to step up to the plate – so to speak. He picked his card, reading the word "sail", then proceeded to the easel. Kol flipped the hourglass and Elijah began drawing a large rectangle. In it, he wrote "50% off."

"Sale!" Rebekah exclaimed.

Elijah smiled, giving a small nod in praise. Rebekah leapt out of her seat after drawing a card and he handed her the marker. She drew an upside down L shape and a fish at one end.

"Fishing?"

She nodded. Then she drew a square next to it. Elijah looked perturbed.

"Fishing box? Tackle box? Box of fish?"

"Fish boxing!" Kol blurted out in laughter.

"Shut it, Kol," Rebekah glared.

"Ah-ah, no talking," Klaus scolded, grinning.

Rebekah rolled her eyes and glanced back at her drawing having an idea. She drew an oblong shape around the box, with a circle at the top, turning it into a cup.

"Ice fishing!" Elijah cried, just as the timer ran out.

"Yes!"

"Beginner's luck," Klaus scorned from the couch.

It was Kol's turn next. He rolled the die, drew his card, and went to the easel. He started with a long shape, one end round and the other with a funny shape at the end of it. He turned back to Klaus, waiting.

"A stick?"

Kol tilted his head, and turned back to the drawing. He added a circle next to the shape. Since Klaus still looked confused, he also added a diamond.

"A diamond, a circle and a stick. Is this some kind of euphemism?"

Kol sighed. He kept adding things, like lines to the ball and smaller diamonds in the bigger one, hoping Klaus would catch on.

"Oh, baseball!" Klaus finally answered.

Kol nodded furiously and kept tapping the long shape again.

Klaus squinted at it. "What is that, a dildo?"

"You're out of time, Klaus," Elijah announced.

"Good god," Kol scoffed, exasperatedly. "A dildo, Nik? Really?"

He gestured to the drawing. "It looks like a dildo."

"It's a bat!" Kol argued. "You got baseball, why would you go in a completely different direction from that!?"

Klaus shrugged nonchalantly and repeated, "It _looks_ like a dildo."

"YOU look like a dildo," Kol grumbled, sitting back down with him. "You are the worst guesser, ever."

"Rebekah, you're up," Elijah said, handing her the die.

She rolled the dice and moved their game piece, then proceeded to take a card. She raised the marker to the paper, waiting for Klaus to flip the timer. When she stepped away, two circles were connected by a line and each one had another line coming out of the end. There was a small bow in the center of the two circles. She waited for Elijah to guess. He rubbed his chin, staring.

"Glasses?" Rebekah shook her head. "Goggles?" He sat in deep thought, staring at the photo, oblivious to the time running out.

"Give up, Lij?" Kol asked, all too happy that he'd lost.

"It's a bra," Rebekah sighed, sitting back down.

"Oh." Elijah's eyes lowered, sheepishly.

"That's all right, Elijah," Klaus assured him. "Probably been a while since you've seen one."

"Elijah's not a ladies man," Kol added. "He wouldn't know these things."

Elijah's eyes shifted, but he said nothing.

"I wouldn't say that," Klaus disagreed. "He's had his fun with the dopplegangers."

"I'm beginning to resent Family Game Night," Elijah groused.

"Well, you started it," Rebekah pointed out.

He just shrugged, helplessly. Elijah's failure made it Klaus's turn again. His word was "Spiderman". Klaus drew a circle with four lines on each side. He added two more circles to create eyes. Kol's eyebrows lowered.

"A bug." But Klaus shook his head. "A...really big bug?"

Klaus sighed and just continued drawing. He made a way-too-elaborate drawing of a man but Kol still looked puzzled.

"A bug and a man?" Klaus looked up, exhaling sharply through his nose. "Bug Guy...A Bug's Life! Human Centipede! Invasion of the bugs!"

"Are you serious?" Rebekah glanced at him.

"What?"

"It has eight legs!" Klaus gestured, slamming the paper.

"Klaus, no talking!" Elijah reprimanded.

"Eight legs? What the hell does that mean?"

"Time's up!" Rebekah called.

Klaus threw the marker down in an angry fit. "It was Spiderman, you idiot."

Kol's mouth formed a small O of surprise. "Oh."

"_Oh? _That's all you have to say?"

Kol glared. "Well, it's not like I had time to go out and see movies while being stuck in a coffin for a few centuries!"

"Whatever."

"Still want him on your team?" Rebekah teased as Klaus sat back down.

"Shut it, Rebekah."

* * *

The game had gone on for another half hour. Rebekah and Elijah were in the lead, but only by two spaces. Klaus and Kol held their own, despite being bad at guessing each other's handiwork.

Kol sauntered up to the easel wearing a lopsided smirk, ready to take his turn. He waited for Elijah to flip the hourglass and began to draw a female stick figure, complete with a triangle dress. After adding her hair, he drew two large circles above the dress, dotting them both in the center.

Klaus chuckled. "What are those, Cs? Ds?"

"Double Ds, if I'm not mistaken," he answered, admiring his work.

Elijah grabbed the card Kol had drawn and read the word. He looked up, bemused. "What do breasts have to do with oven mitts?"

"Nothing," Kol laughed. "I just wanted to draw them."

"Mature, Kol," Rebekah rolled her eyes.

"You're just jealous because the stick figure has bigger ones than you," he teased, sitting back down next to Klaus.

"They're not even real," she tutted, handing the die to Elijah.

"Don't knock the silicone girls, Beks," Kol wagged his finger at her.

"Enough breast talk," Elijah said, picking a card.

"Why? Getting all hot and bothered, Lij?"

He rolled his eyes. "Bothered, yes."

"Lookit that, Nik. All this time, Elijah's been a breast man."

"I figured that," Klaus said. "You ever notice where his eyes are when Elena's around?"

Elijah slammed the card down, startling everyone. "Can I go?"

Klaus grinned, holding his hand out for him to go ahead. Elijah just shook his head and went to the easel. He tore the page of the sketch pad out, as opposed to just flipping it over as they had been all night, and tossed it on the floor behind him.

"Ooh, he's maaaad," Rebekah said, quietly.

"Sexual frustration can be misconstrued for anger, sister," Kol said.

"I am _not _frustrated!" Elijah shouted.

"Oh really?" Klaus's eyes narrowed.

Elijah sighed. "Just turn the timer."

Kol did as told and they all watched Elijah draw in silence. When he finished, there was a very clearly drawn tombstone with the words "R.I.P. Kol Mikaelson" written on it. He turned to his siblings, eyes ablaze, particularly at Kol.

Repressing her smile, Rebekah softly guessed, "Tombstone."

And she was correct. Kol glared at his older brother, wisely keeping his mouth shut. Rebekah took the marker from Elijah as he sat down. Kol tried to peek at her card but she snatched her hand away and got up, taking her card with her, to go draw. She drew a circle with two long lines stretching upward out of it.

"A slingshot?" Elijah guessed dully. "Stethescope...a thong?"

Kol burst out laughing. "A thong!? Is that what you think?"

"Quiet Kol," Rebekah said quietly.

He put his index finger to his lips, eyebrows raised. Klaus called time before Elijah guessed. Kol just shook his head. Rebekah was frowning.

"What is it?" Elijah wondered.

"A necklace," Kol snickered.

"How do you not know it's a necklace, Elijah?" Rebekah asked. "You're always staring at the one Elena stole from me."

"It's not the necklace he's staring at," Kol said with a smirk, unable to help himself.

Rebekah laughed as Elijah scowled, sourly. Klaus just laughed silently to himself, rolling the die to take his turn. He began drawing a lengthy crescent shape. Elijah huffed.

"Enough with the dirty pictures, Klaus."

"It's not _that_," Klaus told him, eyebrows knit.

"It's a ba-na-na," Kol said, playfully.

"Actually, it is," Klaus said, turning around surprised.

"Oh!"

Kol jumped up from his seat, grabbing the marker from Klaus. He gleefully drew a large circle, quickly turning it into a face with large eyes, a lopsided nose and big pouty lips. He turned around, proudly.

"I don't..." Klaus shook his head. "Well it's clearly a man. With...interesting features."

Kol circled his hands, continuously, urging Klaus to keep guessing. He added spirals to the bald head, giving it curly hair.

"Curly Sue? Curly...Three Stooges?"

Kol smacked his head. He drew fangs on the mouth and pointed.

"Vampire?"

"Time," Elijah announced.

Kol threw his hands up in defeat. "It's you, you wanker! The word was 'you'!"

Klaus stared at him. "That looks nothing like me! My nose isn't that big!"

"What do you expect for a minute's time?"

Rebekah got up to join Kol at the easel. "Here." She took the pen from him and tried to rectify his drawing by adding lowered angry eyebrows over the eyes. "You have to capture his essence."

"Very funny," Klaus grumbled, crossing his arms.

She smiled sweetly and returned to her seat beside him.

"Wait." Kol grabbed the second marker and added a thick squiggle above the lips of the portrait.

"I don't have a mustache!" Klaus argued.

Rebekah uncapped her own marker and quick as lightning swiped it across Klaus's own upper lip.

"Now you do."

Klaus's eyes blazed and quickly Rebekah bolted out of the room. He was up after her, chasing her throughout the mansion. They were two quick flashes of color breezing around every room with vampiric speed. Dodging one of their drive-by's, Kol sat back on the couch, cell phone in hand. The chase went on for 5 or 6 minutes until Rebekah locked herself in her bedroom. Klaus zipped back downstairs reclaiming his seat on the couch, now beside Kol. He glanced at his brother but Kol was too busy typing away on the phone. Klaus's eyebrows lowered.

"How did you..." His voice trailed as he reached into his back pocket and found Kol's phone still there. "What the hell are you doing with _my _phone?"

Kol was up and using the armchair across the way as a barricade. "You took my phone. Thought I'd return the favor." He looked down grinning and began to type again.

Klaus's eyes widened. "You'd better not be texting, Kol."

"And if I am?"

Klaus raced to the chair but Kol was gone, hiding behind Elijah's chair now. "Ooh." He turned the phone sideways. "Did you know Caroline is a natural blonde?"

Klaus's face turned stony, and a low snarl escaped him. He pounced on Kol, pinning him to the ground.

"I was joking!" Kol laughed, his hands up in surrender.

Klaus glared and pried the phone from his hands. Thankfully, Kol was being truthful - there were no pictures. But a knock at the door stopped him from reading what Kol had texted. He got off Kol, shoving him in the process, and went to answer the door. As he opened it, a phone was thrust in his face.

"Do you think this is funny?" Caroline's voice came from behind it.

He blinked until the words were clear:

**I said:  
**Hey baby.  
**10:14pm**

**CAROLINE said:  
**Baby?  
**10:14pm**

**I said:  
**Are you naked?  
**10:15pm**

**CAROLINE said:  
**Excuse me?!  
**10:15pm**

**I said:**  
What're you wearing?  
**10:15pm**

**CAROLINE said:  
**Are you DRUNK?  
**10:16pm**

**I said:  
**I'll show you mine  
if you show me yours.  
**10:16pm  
**  
When he finished, he saw Caroline's angry face and frowned, apologetically.

"Caroline, I swear to you - "

"I'm not a whore, Klaus!"

"I know you're not. If you would just let me - "

"I don't sext. Or send naughty texts to _anyone_, okay?"

He sighed. "Caroline."

"This is not okay on so many levels, Klaus. So many."

"Caroline..." he tried again, trying to keep his composure.

"If I had known you were just going to harass me, I would have never given you my number." She shook her head, continuously. "And to think, last week I said I actually _liked _you? Well, you know what? You can just forget that because from now on - "

He suddenly grabbed her shoulders tightly and pressed her lips to hers, hoping, if anything, she'd just shut up. When he released her, she stared up at him dazedly.

"Kol stole my phone," he told her.

She blinked, three or four times. "Oh."

"Yes. Oh."

"Well. Tell Kol he's a butthead."

He laughed. "Will do."

She turned to leave again but glanced back over her shoulder, still gripping the door.

"And Klaus?"

"Yes, love?"

"Nice mustache."


	6. Chapter 6: Elijah Scavenger Hunt

**_Damons Love - _**_'Spin the Bottle'. Duly noted!_**_  
obsessedfaerie - _**_I have considered the Game of Life. Not sure if I'm going to incorporate it yet. :)_**_  
_**

**_Yay! More laughies. Thanks everyone. Means a lot. Sending out hugs and cookies to all!  
_**

**_Oh goodness. I am so so sorry that I forgot to post this last night. You don't know how upsetting it is for me when I don't post when I say I will. I just imagine everyone ripping their hair out, sighing sadly and hating me when I don't update. I'm sorry! There is really no excuse. Well, I mean there is, and it's that Jason Mraz came to town last night and I was busy losing my voice screaming at his concert, but still! Massive massive apologies, my lovelies._**

**_Regarding this chapter... It's a little different. Not quite a game night, for certain reasons which will be revealed. But uh, I'm not going to apologize because I'm kind of fond of this chapter and I think you guys will be too. So carry on!_**

* * *

Week 6

The sixth week of Family Game Night approached. Three out of four Originals were waiting in the kitchen for their fourth counterpart to arrive with the newest game. But it was already going on 10pm and Elijah had yet to show up. For the most part, no one was really worried. Kol was too busy to notice _anything _as he tossed back drink after drink, sitting at the island as if it were a bar. Klaus and Rebekah were impatient though.

"He's never usually late," Rebekah remarked. "Save for last week."

"What do you suppose made him so late?" Klaus asked her.

"Who cares!" Kol joined in. "Maybe he just won't show up this time."

"Don't worry. I'm sure he'll come bursting through the door with another ridiculous game for us to play," Klaus said, dully.

Kol groaned. "I'd rather not."

"Honestly," Rebekah agreed. "Haven't we had enough?"

"Do you think he just keeps doing it to torture us?" Kol wondered, pouring another glass of whiskey. "Or does he actually get a thrill out of it? He's only won one of the games."

"Well you, my brother, are 5 for 5 in game night destruction," Klaus said. "Congrats."

"Oh, this is so unexpected!" Kol leapt from his seat and rounded the island, standing behind it like a podium. "I'd like to thank myself, whom without which none of it would be possible. Did I forget anyone?" He glanced at his siblings. "Oh yes! Me."

"Are you finished?" Klaus raised an eyebrow.

"The music hasn't started in yet, so no. I'd also like to thank the breweries from which all alcohol that I have consumed derived from. And I must express my deepest gratitude to - "

"Enough!"

"Oh don't pout," Kol waved a hand at him. "I was going to thank you too."

"Is this really what we're going to be subjected to all night?" Rebekah sighed, leaning her head against her palm.

"I'm sorry," Kol frowned. "Does my form of entertainment not please you?"

"Go back to playing Temple Run, won't you?"

"Maybe later," he gulped down half his glass.

There was a brief lull in the conversation as the three sat idly, wondering what to do without Elijah there to badger them into playing a family game. Fed up with the silence, Kol slammed his glass down, startling his brother and sister.

"Okay, here's the game!" Kol shouted, clapping his hands together. "We're all going to get rip roaring drunk and go on a scavenger hunt for Elijah. First one to vomit is the winner!"

"That's not exactly a game, Kol," Rebekah said. "A scavenger hunt has clues."

"All right." He poured what was left of his drink into a shot glass and slid it over to her. "There's your first clue."

She glanced down at the shot and back up to him, dubiously. "You're mad."

"Bottoms up, Bekah," he said, smiling brightly.

At a loss for better ideas, she tossed back the shot. Kol jumped up from his seat and retrieved two more glasses from the cabinet. He put them on the counter and filled them nearly to the brim then pushed the toward his siblings.

"Let the games begin."

"I think you have an advantage," Klaus said, gesturing to the half-empty bottle in Kol's hand.

"Nonsense. You can catch up to me easily. I've only tossed back two or...six drinks."

"I suppose tracking down Elijah would be a good idea," Klaus said, his finger circling the rim of his glass.

"What else are we going to do?" Rebekah agreed, lifting her own glass from the counter.

"That's the spirit," Kol grinned. He raised his refilled glass to them. "Game on, family."

* * *

After topping off what was left of the half bottle of whiskey, Klaus, Rebekah and Kol set out on their makeshift Scavenger Hunt. Klaus and Kol had conspired together to get Rebekah to the Salvatore household to face her one night stand. Somehow they actually succeeded. Until they got to the door. Rebekah was having second thoughts.

"What even makes you think he'll be here?"

"All the clues pointed here," Kol reasoned, tipsily.

"Did not," she hiccuped.

"Just get it over with, Rebekah," Klaus urged.

"I can't believe you're making me do this," she scoffed, pulling the doorbell.

The door opened almost instantly, revealing a shirtless Damon. Surprised, he leaned against the door casually, folding his arms in his favored pretentious GQ pose. He raised his eyebrows in that pompous way he always did, thinking he was being debonair. Rebekah's eyes narrowed as it dawned on her how bad an idea this really was.

"Sexy Becksy. We meet again."

Her lips tightened into a thin line. "Salvadork," she greeted.

"How cute. They have petnames," Kol's voice came from behind her.

Damon's eyebrows lowered in confusion. "You brought your brother?"

"Plural," Klaus corrected him, stepping out of the shadows.

Damon's whole demeanor changed with a slump of his shoulders. "What do you want?"

"We're looking for Elijah," Rebekah filled him in then hiccuped again.

"And you thought he'd be here because...?"

"Don't look at me," Rebekah protested. "These two boneheads had - *hic* - the bright idea to come here."

"Are you drunk?"

"Yes." "No." Kol and Rebekah answered simultaneously.

"Just what I need. A family of drunk Originals at my door."

"We wanted to see if Steffy could come out and play," Kol smiled sweetly.

Damon sneered. "_Steffy _isn't home."

Kol patted his brother's shoulder in consolation. "Sorry, Nik. Looks like only Bekah's getting laid tonight."

"Kol!" she hiccuped mid-shout. "You bastard!"

"Gee, word travels fast," Damon commented.

"Funny, because I don't remember telling either of them," she shot back.

"You think I ran around town telling everyone I slept with the Orignal brat?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't put it past you."

"Yeah, well, gossip's not really my style. Blame Elena."

With that, he closed the door, leaving Rebekah rendered speechless, and annoyed that she couldn't have the last word.

"Arrogant piece of crap," she muttered. She looked back at her brothers. "Satisfied? Elijah isn't here."

"Just a moment," Klaus said, his eyes glistening with a plot. Stepping beside Kol, he drove his fist into the door in a furious knock.

Damon thrust the door open again in a fit. "What!?"

"Trick or treat," Klaus grinned.

Damon stared at him, dumfounded while Kol swiftly zipped past into the house and reappeared just as quickly, two bottles of liquor in hand. He gave Damon a snarky grin.

"Thanks mate."

"Go to hell," he spat, slamming the door in their faces.

"You're supposed to say smell my feet," Klaus scolded the closed door.

"Can we go now?" Rebekah whined.

"Here," Kol beamed. He handed a bottle to her, ripping the cork out of the other. "More clues!"

* * *

Since the Salvatore household had been a bust – save for the theft of booze - the Originals moved on to the Mystic Grill. It had been Klaus's idea. They walked along, taking turns drinking from the two stolen bottles of bourbon. Once emptied, Kol made a show of smashing the glass bottles in the street just to see them shatter. Fed up with his drunken escapades, Rebekah darted into the Grill before them under the guise of finding more "clues". Klaus was left following his very inebriated and clumsy brother inside as he shuffled into the Grill. The vibrations of a bass and guitar melodies pounded in his eardrums. Worse than that was the sound of someone's unforgiving voice attempting to sing. Karaoke night, he presumed. He spotted Caroline almost instantly, sitting at one of the tables near the stage ducking her head shamefully while Tyler – as it turned out – was singing "Hungry Like the Wolf" to her.

"Stalked in the forest, too close to hide! I'll be up on you by the moonlight side, do do do do do do do do do do doooo!"

Kol and Klaus watched amusedly, as Caroline shook her head when Tyler jumped off the stage and crouched beside her.

"AND I'm hungry like the woooolf!"

"Tyler, please," she begged, swatting him away.

Grinning laughingly, Klaus finally abandoned Kol and strolled over toward the table the second Tyler took the stage again...

"Strut on a line! It's discord and rhyme! I howl and I whine, I'm af-ter you!" he crooned, horribly off key.

"He's certainly howling and whining, all right," Klaus said loudly, startling Caroline. He took a seat at the table, smirking. "Seems your boyfriend is a little tone deaf."

She furrowed her eyebrows, wincing as she glanced backward at Tyler. "He's just drunk."

Klaus leaned over the table, hands folded beneath his chest. "Doesn't it ever get tiring?"

"What?" she looked back at him coyly.

"Making excuses for him?"

"You think you can do better?" she challenged.

He gave a slight nod. "And I'll prove it to you one day, but right now we are hunting for Elijah."

"We?"

As if on cue, Rebekah appeared, drink in hand, falling into the chair beside Klaus, sighing. "He's not here."

"Didn't think he would be."

"Then why did you drag us here?"

His eyes wandered to Caroline and they had a brief tension-filled stare down. Repressing her smile, Caroline swiveled back around to face Tyler. Klaus grinned gaily down at the table.

"You two are making me nauseous," Rebekah mockingly retched. "Almost as much as he is," she stuck her thumb backward at the stage.

Just then, Tyler stumbled over his words confusedly as he was interrupted by Kol sauntering on stage. He stared at Kol, appalled.

"Dude, you're ruining my song."

Kol slapped his shoulder. "Trust me, mate. I'm doing you a favor."

Tyler scowled at Kol as he plucked the microphone from Tyler's hands and gestured for him to rejoin Caroline.

"_What _is he doing!?" Rebekah gaped.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," Kol started, swaying slightly off-balance. "Your attention, please."

"What's _he _doing here?" Tyler glared at Klaus as he begrudgingly sat with Caroline.

"Not now, Tyler," she hissed.

Ignoring her, he leaned toward Klaus and nearly shouted, "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Kol tipped the microphone at the speaker causing a shrill screeching noise to come out. The audience let out a collected moan and all eyes were on the Original. He raised a chastising eyebrow at Tyler.

"I'm trying to say something here. I will make you shut up, if I feel so _compelled_."

Klaus and Rebekah exchanged a wary glance, and even Caroline's jaw had dropped. Discreet was definitely not Kol's middle name. Tyler stared up at him, furious, but his mouth was shut. Kol straightened up again, grinning.

"Good boy," he said, teasingly, relishing the anger on Tyler's taut face. "Now, I would like to dedicate this song to a very special lady."

Caroline glanced back at Rebekah and Klaus, worriedly. "Who's he talking about?"

"She is the light to my soul. The very essence of my life force. The wind beneath my clipped wings. I would run through every treacherous temple for her!"

"He's not..." Caroline cringed as Kol began to clear his throat.

"Oh he is," Klaus answered, dreadfully.

"If IIII should stayyy," he softly sang. "I would only be in your wayyy. So I'll gooo, but I knoww I'll think of you every step of the wayyyyyy..."

"Why do I never have my phone when I need it?" Rebekah pouted.

"And IIIIIII will always love youuuuuuuu! Yes, Caroliiiiiiineeeee!"

"Ohhh...my god," Caroline hid her head.

"….always love youuuuuuuu!"

"Time to go," Klaus said, leaving the table.

"You, my darling you... Bittersweet. Memories. That is all I'm taking with meeee! And – HEY! Nik!"

"You're done, Kol," he told him, pulling his arm forcefully.

"But I'm serenading your woman," his voice echoed into the microphone.

"Kol. Seriously."

Kol tore his arm away from his brother and rushed back to center stage, falling to his knees, reaching out toward Caroline. "So, goodbyeee. Please, don't cryyy. We both know I'm not what you, you neeeeeeed!"

"Rebekah?" Klaus called, nodding toward Kol. She was up at his side in an instant. "Grab his legs. I've got his arms."

"AND IIIIIIIIIIIIII!" Kol continued singing, even as he was carried off stage. "WILL ALWAYYYS LOVEEE YOUUUUU!"

"Give me that," Rebekah groaned, tossing the microphone behind her, carelessly.

Together they trudged out, lugging Kol. Klaus caught the tail end of a heated argument between Tyler and Caroline as they left. In a few minutes, while they struggled to get Kol to his feet, Caroline burst out the door. Rebekah and Kol showed no interest in the blonde vampire, but Klaus looked up, intrigued.

"Take me with you?" she pleaded.

* * *

Having given up on the search for Elijah, they all resigned back to the mansion to continue drinking. One more bottle later, they retired to the sitting room. Klaus took his spot on the couch, buzzed but still mostly his reserved self. Caroline lounged with him, drunker than she would admit to. A tipsy Rebekah sat sideways in one of the armchairs so her back was against one arm and her legs were strewn over the other. Kol, on the other hand, being drunkest of them all, was lying weirdly contorted on the opposite armchair, his legs hanging off one arm and his body crookedly angled so that his head hung upside-down off the edge of the chair.

"Caroline, do you have a map?" he spouted, randomly.

"A map?"

"Mm. I keep getting lost in your eyes!"

She threw her head back in a groan. "I can't believe I fell for that!"

Kol's laugh went up two pitches. In the midst of his drunkenness, he'd started spewing out random pick-up lines to Caroline on the walk home. Eventually, the others had joined in and it turned into a game itself – who could come up with the cheesiest. Clearly he was picking it back up again.

"Baby, if you were words on a page, you'd be what they call FINE PRINT!" Kol crooned.

Everyone groaned in laughter, commenting on the stupidity of it, sharing drunken banter that didn't really matter anyway.

"Do you know karate?" Caroline grinned at Kol. "'Cause your body is really kickin'!"

He laughed, putting a hand to his chest. "Why thank you."

"How about this...Are you a light switch?" Rebekah beamed. "'Cause you turn me on!"

"Ohhh, that's so bad," Caroline laughed.

"Did it hurt when you fell, Bekah?" Kol tilted his head.

"Fell where?"

"From Heaven, you angel!"

Rebekah scoffed, disgustedly. Caroline was buckled over in Klaus's lap in laughter. She turned to look up at him, eyes shining.

"You know what?" she said, a few stray giggles escaping her.

"What?" he smiled down at her.

"If I could rearrange the alphabet, I would put U and I together," she said, tapping the tip of his nose.

He grinned, bashfully. "Entirely possible."

"Adorable," Kol rolled his eyes.

"Nik hasn't come up with one, yet!" Rebekah pointed out.

"I don't use cheesy pick up lines," he argued.

"Rubbish!" Kol called out, his head banging into the wooden bottom of the chair. He groaned in pain, but was determined to finish his thought. "You act like...God! That bloody _hurt!_...Like a Casanova."

Klaus laughed. "I do not."

"You've used lines. I know you have," Kol argued. He rubbed his head. "Someone get me some ice?"

"Nik thinks he doesn't _need _to use lines on women," Rebekah commented. "He swears all he has to do is look at them and they'll surrender to him."

"_So _not true," Caroline informed her.

"Pick up lines are for desperate men," Klaus said like it was the plainest thing in the world. "I have never been, nor will I ever be, a desperate man."

"Fine, fine," Kol receded. "Caroline, darling. You look cold. Want to use me as a blanket?"

She laughed. "No, thank you!"

"They say a knight is always as hard as his armor," he added.

"Gross, Kol," Rebekah grimaced.

He raised his eyebrows grinning and forgetting about his head trauma, he began to attempt to find a way to bring his glass to his lips while still hanging upside down.

Rebekah stood wearily. "I'm going to bed."

"Already? Old bag," Kol muttered, still trying to figure out his drink dilemma.

As she brushed past him, she tapped his glass with her foot causing it to spill over his chest and face. Because of his positioning, it dripped down his chin and wrists.

"Good night!" she said cheerfully, departing.

"Well that's just brilliant," Kol grumbled, shaking his hands off, sending droplets flying everywhere.

The room was silent for a few minutes. Klaus was deep in thought and Kol was trying again to sip his drink. Caroline's eyes were closed as she rested her head in Klaus's lap.

"Your parents were artists, I presume?" Klaus said suddenly, peering down at Caroline.

Caroline opened her eyes and stared at him, curiously. Even Kol had stopped what he was doing.

"'Cause, love, you _are_ a masterpiece."

Caroline's face flushed and she grinned, ducking her head against his stomach. Klaus's smile brightened.

"D'aww," Kol mocked. "I love how you two act like you're pretending but so very truly mean what you're saying."

"You always have to spoil things, don't you Kol?" Caroline sighed, facing him now.

"My job," he clumsily tipped his glass to her, splashing himself by accident.

"One more." Klaus leaned forth, catching Caroline's gaze once more. "What's a nice girl like you doing in a dirty mind like mine?"

Kol giggled - actually giggled. "Bloody perfect, that."

"You're drunk," Klaus laughed.

His eyes turned serious. "I'm not drunk, I'm just intoxicated by you."

"That's a tad creepy."

"Bugger off."

It was at that moment that Elijah finally erupted into the house. Klaus and Caroline both looked up while Kol lifted his head forward to look at him. His eyes were wide, his expression anxious. His face was slightly flushed and his hair was in brambles.

"Where have you been?" Klaus asked.

Elijah blinked, startled by the question. "What?"

"Lijah, you beast," Kol said incredulously. "You killed a human!"

"What?" he laughed, nervously. "I didn't."

Kol pointed with his glass and laughed. "You're all jumpy like a squirrel!"

His head fell back as he succumbed to a laughing fit. Elijah ran his tongue over his teeth behind his lips, averting his eyes. Caroline just stared at him, slightly horrified with Kol's presumption. Klaus, on the other hand, sat up straighter, curious.

"You do have a tendency to be on edge after a kill," Klaus noted, his eyes darkened with intrigue.

"You know I wouldn't be that stupid, Klaus."

"Do I? When was your last kill?"

"Hmm squirrels…" Kol crooned, interrupting, his laughter fading. "You _are_ a nutter."

"Kol, shut up," Klaus demanded.

"You!"

Klaus rolled his eyes at his drunken baby brother then directed his attention back to Elijah, still waiting for an answer. Elijah spread his arms, defenselessly.

"Do you smell any blood on me?"

"Doesn't mean you didn't kill," Klaus said. "Just means you were neat about it."

Elijah sighed. "With everything going on with the Council, Caroline's mother, Damon and Stefan constantly trying to kill us, you'd really think I would kill someone and give every single one of them even more incentive?"

"Then where were you?"

"What I do isn't any of your business."

Klaus tilted his head, fascinated, locking eyes with his brother. "Tell me, what is it you're so ashamed of telling us, Elijah?"

A light melody went off, breaking the rigid silence. Neither Original broke their gaze while Caroline checked her phone. She let out a huge gasp.

"Ohmigod! You slept with Elena!?"


	7. Chapter 7: Trivial Pursuit!

_**hazelheart93 **__– Never? lol I'll try. I wish I could update more often, but it takes the whole week just to get one chapter written. It's a struggle even to stay within THAT time constraint!_

_**Obsessedfaerie – **__Oops! Nice editing on my part. *blushes*_

_**DammitimmaD**__– I think it's safe to say Kol won that round. :P_

_**doctor-bacon**__– Hmm. A spinoff with Elena and Elijah's POVs? I'll keep it in mind._

_**Ead9**__ – Hmm, Clue Mystery. I do have this one on my list but I'm procrastinating like a boss. It's such an elaborate set up and gameplay, I'm not sure I have enough time to devote to writing that one just yet.  
_

_Readers, Reviewers, Favoriters, Followers:  
Pat yourselves on the back. You are very much loved. :)_

_Credit to **redbudrose** for suggesting this week's game: Trivial Pursuit!  
(I also owe some credit to my biggest FGN fan - my little brother – for lending some funny ideas.)_

OMG there are so many characters in this one. I hope no one gets as overwhelmed as I was! lol I don't suppose this is entirely as funny as the previous chapters. Kind of hard to be with hard facts. But I tried. Maybe you'll prove me wrong. I am my own worst critic, after all. :P

** Just want to say briefly, please excuse any historical inaccuracies in this chapter. I tried to stay close to the facts, but this is fiction, so I figured a small stretch of truth is acceptable.**

* * *

Week 7

Last week's madness turned Elijah off the idea of Family Game Night entirely. He'd said he didn't want any more excuses to have his family in the same room together to rag on him once a week. Klaus called him out on his childish attitude but he merely shrugged it off and refused to participate in any more game night catastrophes. Now, in a strange turn of events, Klaus, Kol and Rebekah were the ones trying to persuade _Elijah _not to give up on it. After a week filled with constant badgering, pretentious apologies and briberies of female companions/bloodbags (Klaus's idea), he finally told them he'd think it over. It was the closest they were going to get.

By the time Friday night arrived, all the Originals were spread throughout the house. Kol went on a search to gather them in preparation for the usual ritual. Klaus was in his study on the phone, refusing to come out until he'd hung up. Assuming he was talking dirty to Caroline, Kol let him be and decided to find Elijah and terrorize him some more. He never bothered to find Rebekah who was hiding in the sitting room, enjoying some quiet alone time. She lounged on one of two couches, relaxing. It was a shortlived moment of peace, however. Kol's voice was echoing through the hall, nearing the room. She heard Elijah too, in a more reserved tone, probably reprimanding their brother.

"I'm just saying. If you feel you need a private moment with the doppleganger tonight, I'm your wingman," Kol was telling him as he followed his very irate brother into the sitting room. "Just give me the signal."

"No, Kol," Elijah responded, firmly. "No signals, no private moments. They weren't even supposed to be invited."

"You can blame Nik's woman for that when she gets here. Insistent little one, isn't she?"

"I thought she was _your _woman?" Rebekah interrupted. "You did serenade her last week."

Kol rolled his eyes. "Can't you forget that already?"

"Give it a century or two," she smirked.

He sighed and refocused his attention on Elijah. "If such a need should arise, all you have to do - "

"Kol!" he snapped.

"Just want you to know I'm here for you, brother!" Kol patted his shoulder and quickly rounded Elijah to lay on the empty couch.

"I don't need your assistance," Elijah brooded. "Besides, nothing is going on between Elena and I."

"Just sex," Rebekah rejoined the conversation. Elijah glanced sideways at her, glaringly. "What? It's perfectly natural, Elijah. We all have needs."

"If you two don't mind, I'd like to move on from this topic."

"I mind," Kol said. "So. Did she let you bite her?"

Before Elijah could yell at him, Klaus walked in, saying 'goodbye' and ending his call. He sat on the couch across from Kol, lifting Rebekah's legs onto his lap.

"Who was that?" Rebekah inquired.

"Caroline. She and the girls will be here shortly."

"Oh great," she pouted.

He exhaled, tiredly before continuing. "She has begged me to spread the message not to make it awkward for Elena."

"Which of course, now means we must," Kol beamed.

Rebekah's lips curled in a devious grin. "I will take great pleasure in doing just that."

Elijah shook his head, imploringly. "Please. Show some consideration. If anything, for me?"

"Oh, 'Lijah, you know I love you." A wide grin spread across Kol's lips. "But I love mayhem more."

Elijah shot him a threatening glare. His eyes lit up deviously with an idea. "I will destroy your entire Temple Run career."

Kol sat up in alarm, eyes ablaze. "You wouldn't _dare_."

"Oh, I would," Elijah's face hardened. "And I would enjoy every second of it."

The door bell sounded but neither Original backed down.

"Down, boys," Klaus intervened. "Our guests have just arrived."

"I've got it!" Rebekah jumped up before him.

She headed to the door gleefully, eager to greet Elijah's new beneficial friend. She pulled the door open expecting a blonde and a brunette, and that they were, but they were the wrong gender. Her evil grin melted into a scowl upon seeing Stefan and Damon on the steps.

"What are _you _doing here?" she asked snidely.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "We were _invited_."

"_By who_?"

Stefan, with his hands in his pockets, shrugged. "Kol."

Rebekah's head titled in amusement as it dawned on her what a brilliant idea her brother had. Elena, Elijah, Stefan and Damon all in the same room. She stepped aside wordlessly, cordially gesturing for them to enter. Damon and Stefan strolled into the sitting room and all three Originals' heads turned. Elijah stared at the Salvatores, worriedly while Kol jumped up, grinning.

"Stefan! Damon!" Kol greeted. "Wonderful to see you, mates."

"Whose idea what this?" Elijah asked cautiously.

Kol turned around, trying to look innocent and failing miserably. "I thought we agreed the more the merrier?"

Elijah's nostrils flared and he looked around wildly. "Where's his phone?"

Klaus stood then, holding his furious brother back. "Elijah, calm down. It's just Kol."

"Ah!" He spotted the iPhone on the couch and, just as Kol dove for it, swiped it from the leather cushion. Kol fell face first into the couch then twisted around swiftly.

"Give it back, Elijah!"

Elijah darted out of the room and into the kitchen. Kol was on his tail and nearly ran into the island chasing him. While Kol struggled to reach around his brother's twisting torso and reclaim his phone, Elijah fumbled with the touchscreen until the music from the "Temple Run" game began to play. Kol's eyes widened in panic.

"Don't!"

His finger hovering over the screen, Elijah locked eyes with his baby brother, commanding obedience. Kol stared up at him, eyes gleaming with hate, and backed down.

"You will not say a word about last week's revelation to Elena," Elijah said, barely audibly. "Ever." Reluctantly, Kol nodded his head one time. "Furthermore, you will behave respectfully tonight. Meaning no vulgar comments, no instigating, and no drinking."

"I won't agree to the last."

"Then kiss your leader boards goodbye," he threatened, sliding his index finger over the screen.

"All right! Fine!" Kol surrendered. "Now can I have my phone back?"

Elijah grinned, enjoying his brothers torment. He glanced at the phone and flipped it his hand, expertly. "I think I'll hold onto it until the night is over."

"Bastard!"

"That counts as vulgar."

Kol gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, groaning in agony. Klaus chose that moment to walk in.

"The girls are here," he announced.

* * *

Elijah and Kol rejoined the group in the sitting room, surprised to see Bonnie had joined Elena and Caroline. That brought the group to a total of 9 members. Elijah smiled in greeting.

"Hello, Bonnie."

"Elijah," she greeted, in a very repressed smile.

"We weren't expecting you."

"I wasn't expecting to be here."

Kol's eyes squinted, slightly. "What were you, dragged against your will?"

"You could say that," she answered, shooting death glares at Elena and Caroline.

Caroline rolled her eyes, grabbing Bonnie's hand. "Come on, Bonnie. You said you'd try."

"I'm here, aren't I?" she shrugged.

"It's not that bad," Elena assured her. "I promise."

Klaus smirked at the entire display, knowing the real reason Bonnie didn't want to be there was him. He stepped forth, raising his eyebrows innocently. "Your friends just wanted you to have fun."

Bonnie gave him a wry look. "Anytime you're involved, it's never fun."

"Oh, let's not be influenced by past events. All's well now, isn't it?"

She shook her head angrily, turning back to her friends. "This was a bad idea. I'm leaving."

"No, no, no!" Elena held her back. She looked her friend sternly in the eye. "You promised."

Sighing in defeat, Bonnie followed her friends to the couch opposite Rebekah and Kol. Klaus sat on the arm beside Caroline. Damon and Stefan were awkwardly standing by, not sure what to make of the massive group gathering. Elijah retreated to one of the armchairs. The game laid out before them all was _Trivial Pursuit!. _Rebekah began to toy with the objects on the table. She picked up a plastic round black piece and stared at it curiously.

"What's with these little wheel things?"

"Those are the game pieces," Elijah informed her.

Rebekah made a face. "What does Trivia have to do with wheels?"

"Maybe it's to symbolize, like, getting the wheels in your head turning?" Caroline cheerfully suggested.

"Ooh. Or the wheels on the bus?!" Kol mocked her.

She glared, sticking her tongue out at him. He chomped down on his teeth in response. Elijah shot him a warning glance to which he rolled his eyes.

"Allow me to shed a little light on the subject," Klaus grinned, picking up and scanning the game manual. "The object of the game is to move around the board by correctly answering trivia questions. Questions are split into six color coded categories: Geography, Entertainment, History, Arts and Literature, Science and Nature, and Sports."

"That doesn't explain the wheels," Rebekah pointed out.

"I'm getting there." His brow furrowed as he read. "Playing pieces are divided into six sections. A small, plastic wedge can be placed into each of these sections to signify when a question from a certain category has been correctly answered."

"This sounds like too much work for a game," Bonnie commented.

"Seriously," Rebekah agreed. "How is this supposed to be fun?"

"And how are we supposed to compete with vampires?" Caroline added. "You guys have like endless knowledge."

"Well, that's why I thought we'd do it in teams," Elijah told them.

"Not again," Klaus groaned, throwing down the paper directions.

"It's only fair."

"I'm _not _being on Nik's team again!" Kol declared.

Klaus scowled. "At least my drawings were clear and concise!"

"Please," Rebekah begged. "Let's not relive that torture again."

"How are we picking teams?" Caroline wondered.

"Relax," Kol rolled his eyes. "You'll be with Nik."

She opened her mouth to protest, but Elijah spoke first. "We'll pick names from a hat."

"Where's your hat, genius?" Damon asked, sarcastically.

"Here," Elena handed Elijah her purse. "It's pretty much empty, anyway."

He smiled, gratefully. "Thank you."

They all wrote their names down on a ripped piece of paper, folded and handed them to Elijah who, in turn, scrambled them in the bag. He reached in and pulled out the first name.

"First team consists of Klaus..."

"How is he _always _first!?" Kol mused.

"Stefan," Elijah ignored his brother. "And Caroline."

"My best mate and my best girl," Klaus smirked, his arm creeping around Caroline.

Both Stefan and Caroline shook their heads, rolling their eyes, despite their grins. Bonnie eyed them, suspiciously, while Elijah dug into the bag again and pulled out three more pieces of shredded paper.

"Next is Rebekah," he paused to unfold the next paper, "with Damon...and Kol."

Damon snorted. "You're kidding me, right?"

"I object to those results," Rebekah said, snootily.

"It's the luck of the draw," he told them, distractedly. "That leaves Elena, Bonnie and myself."

"I demand a do-over," Rebekah pouted.

Damon nodded. "I second the motion."

"So do I," Kol grumbled.

"You three are the only ones complaining," Elijah said.

"Suck it up," Klaus told them with a teasing grin.

"Well, this is a disaster waiting to happen," Damon sighed.

Kol glanced at him, fighting an almost irresistible urge to say something. But his eyes darted back to Elijah, knowing, if he spoke, his "Temple Run" dictatorship would be ruined. He slumped in his seat hoping the game would go by quick.

* * *

Three empty wheel pieces sat on the "HUB" space in the center of the hexagonal game board. To no one's surprise, Klaus's team managed to go first. He rolled the dice for their team and landed on yellow spot – a History question. Stefan perked up, history being his strong point, for...obvious reasons. Since an opposing team had to read the question, Elena drew the card and read it.

"What woman was arrested for voting in the 1872 election for U.S. President?"

"That would be Susan B. Anthony, if I'm not mistaken," Stefan said, smugly. It was correct, and they gained a yellow wedge for their wheel.

"Mm. She was a ballsy one," Klaus said. "And, if it weren't for compulsion, Rebekah would have been, as well."

"Please," she scoffed. "The time it took for women to gain equal rights, I'd not only voted for but fed off of every president henceforth."

Kol clasped his hand to his heart. "I feel like a proud father."

"I don't," Elijah grumbled.

"Oh dear, moral, Daddy Elijah," Kol accidentally slipped out.

Elijah's eyes darkened. "I have your phone, Kol. Please don't tempt me."

He rose from the couch. "If you touch my game - "

"Then keep your mouth shut."

Kol sat back down, pouting. "You're no fun."

"Speaking of women's rights," Rebekah's face twisted into a devilish grin. "Elena. Didn't you express a certain woman's right just last week? Friday night, to be exact?"

Kol's eyes lit up as Rebekah shot him an assuring glance. He couldn't have his fun, but he could certainly trust his sister to. With all her hatred of Elena, how could he have forgotten?

Elena's eyes widened. Her shoulders rose as she inhaled deeply. "I'm not sure what you mean, Rebekah."

"Oh I think you do," she crooned.

"Elijah!" Caroline said too loudly and with too much pep. "It's your teams' turn."

She handed him the die, glaring at Rebekah for trying to out her friend. Rebekah narrowed her eyes and pressed her lips in a thin smile. The game progressed as the team of Elijah/Bonnie/Elena landed on an orange spot for Sports. Damon grabbed the card and read it.

"What's the top selling campus snack according to the American Association of College Stores?"

Kol snickered. "If you ask Nik, he'd tell you the Frat boys."

"It's true," Klaus admitted. "They were always ripe for the picking. And just dumb enough to be compelled over and over."

"Not a comforting thought," Caroline told him.

He responded with a gallic shrug. Bonnie was shaking her head, confusedly.

"How is that a Sports question?"

Klaus picked up the directions again and caught his mistake. "Apologies. The category is actually Sports and Leisure."

"That still doesn't make sense," Damon scoffed, flipping the card to read the answer. His already furrowed eyebrows, lowered even more at the answer.

Klaus shrugged. Bonnie glanced at Elena, trying to conjure an answer while Elijah was at a loss.

"Well, let's just...think like college kids," Elena suggested. "What snack would everyone buy?"

"Chips?"

"Cookies?"

"Ramen Noodles," Caroline offered.

"Don't help them," Klaus scolded, squeezing her shoulder.

"Beer," Elijah suggested.

"That's not a snack," Elena laughed.

"It's a top seller, though."

"I give up," Bonnie shook her head.

Damon handed the card to Elijah and he read the answer.

"Oreos," he said, the word sounding foreign on his lips. "What are Oreos?"

"Only the best cookies ever," Caroline said like it was the most obvious thing. "I'll bring them next week."

"Assuming you're invited," Rebekah glowered.

Caroline looked up at Klaus. "Am I not?"

"You're always welcome here, love," he assured her.

Rebekah sneered while Caroline reveled in satisfaction.

The game went on with each team taking turns in answering questions. Klaus's team had gained four wedges, Elijah's three, and Rebekah and Kol's had only two. There was more bickering among them than actual answered questions. During Klaus's team's play, a few funny looks were directed at Caroline when she jumped to answer the question "What future sitcom megastar began wearing her hair red in 1942?" She nearly bounced out of her seat shouting, "Lucille Ball!" When they all stared, she flushed, innocently: "What? I love _I Love Lucy! _reruns."

Kol had managed to behave himself thus far, only breaking once with the question "What year did Prince Charles and Princess Diana call it quits?" to reveal that it was "When Elijah had an affair with her and ol' Charlie boy found out about it." Elijah erupted into a heated debate with Kol which eventually ended with Kol reminding him, "You compelled them both to forget anyhow! Who cares?"

It was the blonde team's (Klaus/Stefan/Caroline) turn, once more. They landed on a brown spot for an Arts & Literature question. Rebekah picked the card and read.

"Which Dickens character said "Please sir, I want some more"?"

Stefan smiled, knowingly. "Oliver Twist."

"Correct," Rebekah beamed.

"You know Dickens only used that line after _I _told him to," Klaus pointed out, smugly.

Elena shook her head, scoffing. "Is there anyone in history you _didn't _feed on?"

Klaus paused, thinking. "Marilyn Monroe," he spouted. "She'd had a stash of vervain the size of Texas."

Caroline sat up in shock. "Marilyn Monroe knew about vampires?"

He grinned down at her, proudly. "Love, she had an affair with one."

"Uh!" her jaw dropped. "_You _slept with Marilyn Monroe!?"

"For a short span. But it was wonderful."

"I don't know whether to be mad or impressed!"

"I refuse to believe that's true," Elena argued.

Bonnie nodded. "There is no way. She was way too classy."

Klaus's eyebrows shot up in amazement. "Are you insinuating I don't have class?"

"Maybe."

"Well love, Marilyn led a very loquacious life. Dabbled in a bit of everything. Including vampires."

"Oh, don't tease, Nik," Rebekah said. "You're not the only vampire she was with."

Her eyes traveled across to Elijah whose face showed no trace of any emotion. But in his eyes there was a hidden sparkle of reminiscence.

Elena turned sharply to him. "You had an affair with her too?"

He shrugged, modestly. "More of a brief encounter."

"Brief enough to make her swear off vampires," Klaus added, bitterly.

"I've told you time and again, I did _not_ compel her."

"I'd just gotten her off the vervain when you swooped in."

"That's merely coincidental."

"Then how do you explain the sudden change of heart?"

Elijah leaned forth, eyes shining with malice. "Have you ever thought perhaps it wasn't vampires she swore off of, Klaus?"

"Boys, boys," Kol intervened, raising his hands. "Why fret over a dead woman? It's not like she loved either of you, anyhow." He flashed a snarky grin. "Not after I'd been through with her."

Both Elijah and Klaus stared at him, stunned.

Rebekah groaned. "How wonderful. My brothers are all manwhores."

"We learned from the best," Kol winked at her.

"I gotta give you guys props," Damon raised his glass. "Marilyn Monroe. Very classy. How'd she taste?"

"Divine," Kol grinned at him. "Right down to the last drop."

Klaus peered at him curiously. "When did _you_ run into Marilyn?"

"On one of my many feeding binges. Nearly drained her completely. Luckily, Kennedy showed up as I was leaving and we know how that panned out." He clasped his hands together. "Crisis averted."

"Oh my God!" Caroline's jaw had nearly reached the floor.

Bonnie was shaking her head, eyebrows scrunched in deep thought. "I don't understand. The whole murder is a conspiracy theory. They don't even know if Kennedy was involved."

Kol laughed. "Who do you think started the conspiracies?"

Elena sighed. "I think I need a drink."

"Make that a double," Stefan agreed.

* * *

The game paused for a round of drinks, much to Kol's dismay. Just the appearance of alcohol made him long for a taste and that just made him grumpy. Everyone was laughing, exchanging banter, enjoying their drinks, while he sulked on the couch unable to join in the festivities. Stupid Elijah and his stupid libido. That's what was to blame for this!

"Can we get back to playing?" he pleaded, wanting his phone and wanting a drink.

"What's got you so eager to get back, Kol?" Elijah asked, eyes twinkling with conspiracy.

Shocked to see his brother so cold toward him, Kol just stared. "Nothing."

Spying the two, Klaus relented. "Let's finish up the game before the night is gone."

Kol glanced up at him, appreciatively. The group reconvened around the table and it was back to Elijah's team. They got another Geography question.

"Where did the sounds and styles of grunge originate?" Kol read aloud.

"In Niklaus' closet," Rebekah said, blatantly.

"It's true!" Kol laughed in agreement.

"Oh, shut up," Klaus brooded. "Both of you."

"I can kinda picture you all grunged out and emo," Caroline teased.

"Don't," he advised her.

Damon rolled the die for his team's turn, next. They landed on a blue spot – another Geography question. Bonnie plucked a card from the pile.

"Which of the 48 contiguous US states has fewest people?"

"Is this before or after vampires appeared?" Kol asked, teasingly.

"Just answer the question," Bonnie said, dryly.

Damon looked to Rebekah but she shrugged, blankly. Kol raised his eyebrows, giving no answer. Damon sighed and threw his hands in the air.

"Utah?"

"Wrong," Bonnie shook her head. "The answer was Wyoming."

"Wyoming?" Damon grimaced.

"Funny, I was going to say Georgia," Elena grumbled, bitterly.

"Nope. Georgia is the state of bunny famine, thanks to Stefan," Damon retorted.

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Hilarious, Damon. You should do stand up."

"Ahh," Damon waved the thought away. "My humor's lost on the general public."

"It's not just your humor, mate," Kol grumbled, his irritable mood picking back up.

Damon pressed his lips together in an annoyed smile. "Just when I was starting to tolerate you."

"Oh don't lie to yourself, Damon. We're better suited in hating one another."

"Can't argue with that," he toasted him, downing the rest of his drink.

Kol glared, crossing his arms over his chest. Feeling watched, he looked over at Elijah and his suspicions were confirmed. Elijah was relishing his brother's anger. As he looked around, even Klaus was mildly amused.

"Ease up, Kol," Rebekah told him. "It's only alcohol."

Totally contradicting her reassurance, she devoured her drink, rubbing in his face how great it was with a smack of her lips. He snarled, angry at all of his siblings at the current moment. His leg began to shake in a nervous tension.

"Interesting turn of events," Elijah suddenly said. "Kol, the king of jokes, is now the object of mockery."

"You're not being fair, Elijah," Kol hummed, his angry brewing.

"Your game is _really _that important?" Rebekah asked, shocked.

"Shut up, Bekah."

"Aw. Poor Kol. He can't act like a child for fear of his stupid game being deleted," she teased.

"Is that why you haven't hit on me tonight?" Caroline laughed.

"I'll bet he just has a million things he'd love to say," Klaus joined in the teasing. "Don't you Kol?"

"What did I ever do to you Nik?" he frowned.

"Shame he can't pester Elena some more," Rebekah braved saying within earshot of Elijah.

"That's enough, Rebekah," Elijah warned her.

"Not nearly."

"It's okay, Elijah," Elena put her hand on his wrist. "Let them try to pester me. It won't do them any good."

Caroline laughed, snidely. "Okay..."

"That goes for you too, Care," Elena added.

"What?" she stared innocently. "All I did was laugh."

Elena rolled her eyes, cynically. "I know that laugh. You're judging me."

"Oh my god." Caroline shook her head at her friend. "You're delusional, Elena."

"Am I?"

"Yes. But you know, even if I was judging you, at least it's for a good reason."

"Oh, and you can talk!?"

"Come on. You can't even decide between TWO men who love you."

"You're doing the same thing!"

"What!? I am not!"

"You're _so _into Klaus!" Elena revealed.

"What!?" Bonnie nearly shouted, appalled.

"Yeah, well..._You're _hot for Elijah!" Caroline shot back.

"What!?" Both Stefan and Damon said in unison.

"Caroline!"

"Well you are!"

"Why would she say that, Elena?" Bonnie asked her.

Caroline put her hands on her hips, done keeping secrets. "Because they kissed!"

"They what!?" This time it was all three – Bonnie, Stefan and Damon – who were stunned.

"It was a dare!" Elena explained, quickly. "We were playing Truth or Dare!"

"Nobody dared you to kiss him that long, Elena," Rebekah added insult to injury.

"Rebekah, stop," Elijah reprimanded. "Stefan. Damon. It wasn't - "

"Don't try to cover for yourself, Elijah," Klaus chided. "It takes two tongues to tango."

"Oh my god," Elena buried her face in her hands.

Elijah was furious now. "Klaus, please!"

"Don't yell at _him, _Elijah," Rebekah jumped to her brother's defense. "You're the one at fault here."

"I can't believe you kissed an Original!" Bonnie exclaimed.

"I'm not the only one!" Elena cried. "You haven't noticed Caroline hanging around here a lot lately?"

Caroline scoffed. "Don't bring me back into this! I didn't do anything wrong!"

"You told everyone about Truth or Dare!"

"You told Bonnie about Klaus!"

"She would have found out anyway!"

"Oh sure! You going to run and tell Tyler too, now?"

Kol's cap finally burst from all the chaos and he was unable to resist. "ELIJAH AND ELENA SLEPT TOGETHER!"

The entire room fell silent.

"Kol!" Caroline gasped, loudly, turning around.

He pointed a finger at her. "You started it!"

Another loud bout of arguments took over the room after his revelation, but Kol's ears rang with silence. He suddenly had an eerie feeling in the pit of his stomach. His arm instantly dropped to his side and his face fell. He slowly brought his gaze up to Elijah's death glare. What had he just done!?


	8. Chapter 8: Twister

_**Aqualover5711 – "**_I would just LOVE to see the Original siblings' reactions if Elijah brought out Candy Land. :3" Shockingly, this one is on my list as a tentative choice! :P

_I am so humbled by all the laughter in all of your reviews, to know that not only do you enjoy the writing but also my sense of humor. Thank you, lovelies. ;)_

_This one turned out to be super long. But I just couldn't resist doing a few things in this chapter! I don't know that it's as funny as it is dramatic, and I think my Klaroline shipping side had a little too much fun with this. But I'm pretty happy with this, overall. Hopefully you will be too!_

_I do have to say, while a lot of you have requested it, this week's game was one of the first on my list._  
_I've been planning it and writing down ideas for it for a while. Just wanted to wait for the right moment to incorporate it. That said..._

_Ask and ye shall receive! :)_

* * *

Week 8

Kol had been sulking all week, refusing to leave his room or to speak to his eldest brother. Last Friday, in a fit of rage, Elijah had destroyed not only Kol's "Temple Run" monarch, but his entire iPhone. He'd crushed the phone in his fist and thrown the pieces in Kol's face then exited the mansion, not to be seen again for three days. Needless to say, the Game Night had ended on that sour note with several participants refusing to ever return.

By Friday night, Klaus and Rebekah were fed up with indulging their brother and entered his bedroom in an attempt to bring him out of his funk.

"Get out," his voice came muffled. He was lying facedown on his bed, his head buried in his pillows.

"Oh grow up, Kol," Rebekah scoffed.

Kol lifted his head, angrily. "I said get out!"

"Is that any way to speak to your siblings?" Klaus chided. "You've been moping the entirety of the week. You're done, Kol."

"Easy for you to say. Our brother didn't smash your life to pieces with his bare hands, did he?!"

"He broke your phone, stupid," Rebekah tutted.

"I was being metaphoric!"

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "You were being moronic."

"Look," Klaus held up a new iPhone 4, trying to entice Kol. "We got you a brand new phone that's just waiting for you to run temples through it."

"You don't get it, Nik! I can't just go back to it like that. Do you know the time and effort I'd dedicated to maintaining my throne? All of the virtual smack downs I had laid? They'll all think I'm a joke!"

"Oh, get a new hobby," Rebekah groaned.

"Try something new. Here." Klaus sat on the bed and showed him the phone opened to the APP Store. "You have several options to choose from. How about "Draw Something"? That looks like fun, no?"

Kol peered at him. "I had my fill of drawing games weeks ago, thank you."

"What about "Words with Friends"? You liked Scrabble. You can start several games at once and make as many innuendos as you please."

"Stop treating me like a child who's lost his favorite toy, Nik," Kol batted him away.

"Stop acting like one," Rebekah shot back.

"Just _try_, Kol," Klaus urged. "I'm sure you'll find something to suit your fancy."

"I don't want to!" He flopped back into his pillows, huffing.

"It's game night. You have to come out of your room, some time."

"Oh, let him stay and be a baby if he wants to, Nik," Rebekah said. "It'll be less chaotic without him there, anyway."

"It's a _family _game night," Klaus scolded.

"Tell that to Elijah. He's refusing to participate, as well."

Kol lifted his head, timidly. "Elijah's not playing?"

"As far as I know."

He tentatively sat up, eyeing the new phone in Klaus' hands. "What game are we playing?"

* * *

Kol was sitting on the couch, still pouting miserably, but giving Klaus's idea a shot and scanning through the App Store to find a game to fill the void. Rebekah and Klaus were setting up the game mat when the doorbell sprang to life. Klaus's head jerked toward it, anxiously. Rebekah straightened up and put her hands on her hips.

"What happened to _family?"_she mocked.

"Every rule has its exception," Klaus retorted over his shoulder as he went to answer the door.  
Grinning in anticipation, Klaus pulled the door open. His face immediately fell. There stood a very shamefaced Caroline with a guilty smile plastered to her face. Beside her stood none other than Tyler Lockwood, looking very much like he would have rather been elsewhere. Gritting his teeth, Klaus put on a fake grin.

"Caroline, Tyler," he said in a repressed voice. "Please, come in."

Letting Tyler go first, Caroline lingered slightly so that Klaus could catch up behind her after closing the door. When he did, he was seething.

"When you said you were bringing a guest, I assumed you meant Elena," he whispered angrily.

"You know what they say about assuming," she shot back.

"Makes an ass out of you and me," Tyler answered for both of them, turning around. "You know I can hear you both, right?"

They stared at him, like two children caught with their hands in the cookie jar. Regaining his composure, Klaus briskly walked around the couple and lead the way into the great room. Rebekah looked up, stunned to see Tyler walk in.

"This night just keep getting better and better," Rebekah smiled maliciously.

At her words, Kol finally looked up from his new phone. His eyebrows furrowed. "Who invited the flunkie?"

Sensing his body tensing, Caroline squeezed Tyler's hand and took a step in front of him. "I did, Kol. And he's not a _flunkie_, he's my boyfriend."

Klaus dropped onto one of the armchairs, wordlessly. Shrugging, Caroline led Tyler to the empty couch and sat. She spied the new phone in Kol's hands.

"I thought Elijah destroyed that last week?"

Kol's face hardened, bitterly. He said nothing, just went back to his search.

"He's still brooding," Rebekah explained. "But at least we got him down here."

"I'm still not playing," he grumbled. "I agreed only to watch."

Caroline raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "You're really that hung up on a game?"

"Oh, we've been down that road already," Klaus finally spoke.

"I feel like I'm missing something," Tyler said, uncomfortably.

"Yes. It's not pleasant feeling out of the loop, is it?" Klaus said, eyes flicking to Caroline.

"Where's Elijah?" she wondered, disregarding Klaus's irritation.

"Refusing to partake," Rebekah told her. "Though I'm sure he'll show his face sometime soon. He never stays holed up in his room for long."

"Can't say I blame him," Caroline eyed Kol with disdain.

"Don't start, darling," he threatened, staring daggers through her. "I'm in a very bad mood tonight."

"Seems to be a general theme," Klaus remarked.

"I'm in a great mood, actually," Rebekah objected. "In fact, I think it's going to be one of the most interesting game nights we've had."

"Bitchy Bekah emerges," Kol muttered.

She rose, infuriated. "You want _two_ destroyed phones, Kol?"

"All right," Tyler piped up, shaking his head. "Somebody fill me in. What's the story with the phone?"

"I already told you what happened," Caroline hissed, not wanting to fuel Kol's fire. "With Elena...?"

"What does that have to do with Kol's phone?"

Kol shifted in his seat, eyeing Tyler with contempt. Caroline put a hand on Tyler's thigh.

"I'll tell you later," she said softy.

He glanced down at her hand and covered it with his, giving her a half smile. Klaus glowered at the exchange. Rebekah, of course, took notice.

"What's a matter, Nik?" Rebekah teased. "Feeling a bit lonely, are you?"

Klaus clenched his jaw. "Rebekah, be a dear and _shut it._"

She grinned satisfactorily. "I'm going to enjoy tonight."

Caroline squirmed, uncomfortably. "So I guess we're waiting for Elijah to start?"

"I still can't believe Elena slept with him," Tyler mused.

As luck would have it, Elijah chose that exact moment to appear. He stopped abruptly upon hearing Tyler's thought and turned right back around. Rebekah zipped around him and put her hands on his chest to stop him.

"Don't leave," she begged. "Please."

"I'm not playing if he's going to be here," Elijah said calmly but firmly, referring to Kol.

"Don't stoop to his level, Elijah. You're bigger than that."

"He singlehandedly destroyed the one good thing in my life. I can't forgive him this time."

"He's your brother. What happened to 'family above all'?"

"A brother wouldn't be so disloyal. He's a sadistic bastard out to make everyone's lives hell because he can't face his own misery."

"Oh grow a pair, Elijah," Kol called out, snidely. "If you've got something to say to me, at least say it to my face."

In response, Elijah blurred through the room and appeared before Kol. His eyes burned with rage. "You care about nothing and no one but yourself, Kol. You've had a thousand years to grow up yet you choose to remain a child."

"Yes, yes. I ruined whatever shot you thought you had with Elena Gilbert. Now you hate me. I get the picture."

"I don't hate you. I pity you."

"Pity?!" Kol laughed. "What's to pity? I'm a dashingly handsome vampire that can't be killed with a wicked sense of humor. What are you? Old. Boring. Moral. All you've got going for you are your suits."

"And all you've got is a high score on a ridiculous video game," Elijah responded. His face lit with an evil grin. "Oh wait."

Kol rose, nostrils flared, and threw his fist against Elijah's jaw with resounding force. After recovering from his stumble, Elijah grabbed hold of Kol's neck, squeezing mercilessly. Kol tried to fight free, but Elijah's hold was iron tight.

"Stop it!" Rebekah cried. "Both of you!"

Kol laughed against Elijah's grip. "Going to kill me, brother?"

Klaus was between both of them in a flash, prying them apart. He threw Kol into Rebekah's embrace and faced Elijah, angrily.

"What's gotten into you, Elijah? It is _Kol, _for crying out loud."

Elijah tore his arm away from Klaus and smoothed his suit, exhaling long and slow. "I'm sorry. I went too far."

"No woman is worth losing family over," Klaus told him softly.

"I know." Elijah sighed. "It's been a long time since I've felt this way. I didn't want to ruin it. But, thankfully, we have Kol to do that."

"Go to hell," Kol spat.

"Not helping, Kol!" Klaus reprimanded over his shoulder. He turned back to Elijah. "Stay and play, Elijah. Have a little fun, let off some steam."

Elijah glanced cautiously at Kol and then down at the game mat. One corner of his mouth turned up.

"Who on earth came up with Twister?"

* * *

After a few minutes, the scene had died down. Kol and Elijah were seated as far away from each other as they could be, each in an armchair on opposite sides of the room. Kol just kept staring at Tyler with intrigue.

While Elijah engrossed himself in the game directions, Rebekah had gone upstairs for the moment to exchange her skirt for something more appropriate. Klaus flicked the spinner idly, trying not to glance over at Tyler and Caroline on the couch across from him. The tension in the room was thick enough to be cut with a butter knife.

"I can sense we're going to need some alcoholic beverages here," Kol sat up. "Tyler, mate. Care to help me gather the drinks?"

"Why?"

"Oh don't be so leery. It's my brother you dislike."

"Actually, your whole family is kind of hated around here."

"Potato, potahto," he waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, it'll give us a chance to get to know one another better."

"Thanks, I'll pass."

"Go on, Tyler," Klaus urged. "He won't bite."

"If you ask nicely," Kol agreed, teasingly.

"Fine," Tyler threw his hands up in surrender. "Whatever. I'll help you get the drinks."

Klaus grinned in Rebekah's direction. "Who said you needed sire bonds?"

Tyler turned around and glared at him. "What did you just say?"

Klaus's eyebrows shot up, innocently. "Not a thing." His eyes turned icy. "Go on, fetch the drinks like a good boy."

"What's your beef, man? I didn't come here to get ragged on all night."

"Then perhaps you shouldn't have come," Klaus retorted.

"Look. I get that you hate me, and I hate you just as much. But I didn't come here for you. And I'm _trying _to be civil."

Klaus sat up then, sneering at his former hybrid. "Were you expecting the same courtesy or did you forget that this happens to be _my _house?"

"Klaus, stop it," Caroline warned. His gaze flicked to her, and her face sterned. "Seriously."

Klaus slumped, dejectedly while Kol chuckled, making a sharp whipping sound with his teeth. Caroline glared at him from across the way.

"Come along, mate," Kol called Tyler. "There's a private matter that needs discussing."

With one last glare in Klaus's direction, Tyler turned back and caught up to Kol. Kol threw his arm around Tyler's neck, gleefully.

"_We _are going to be best buds by the end of tonight," he was saying as they left the room.

When they disappeared, Klaus sat up again, anger flooding over his face. Caroline sighed, expectantly, waiting for him to speak.

"What exactly are you playing at bringing him here, Caroline?"

She tilted her head, coyly. "How come when you're angry I become Caroline again?"

"Don't try to charm your way out of it, love. Answer the question."

"Word got out about Family Game Night," she shrugged.

"And?"

"And_..._he might have found out how often I've been attending..."

"_And_?"

She sighed, exasperatedly. "_And_ he wouldn't take no for an answer. It was either bring him or don't show, but I figured this would make him less suspicious."

"And did you figure how it might make me feel?"

She laughed. "Please don't tell me you're actually upset."

"A little notice would have been appreciated."

Caroline's mouth hung open in a smile. "Oh my god. You're totally jealous."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Sweetheart, I do not _get _jealous."

"Oh, please Everyone gets jealous at some point." Klaus grinned with a gallic shrug. "Okay, so if I start getting really touchy feely with Tyler tonight, you won't care? Not even a bit?"

"No," he smirked. "Because secretly I know you'll be wishing it were me and not him touching you, kissing you..." He stretched to trail his fingers up her calf. "Caressing you..."

Caroline's eyes heated. Even through the thin fabric of her leggings his touch tingled. She pursed her lips. "You know you won't be able to flirt like that so openly all night."

"Why do you think I'm taking advantage of your boyfriend's absence?" he grinned, letting his fingers slide higher toward her skirt.

Hearing voices approaching, she grabbed his hand just before he reached the end of the skirt. Still holding it, she said softly, "There is no way you'll be able to keep from touching me all night."

"I think it's you who won't be able to manage, sweetheart."

"We'll just have to see."

"Game on, Miss Forbes."

Their eyes were locked when Kol and Tyler returned. Klaus' hand magically had slipped from Caroline's grasp before Tyler could catch them. After handing out the drinks, Kol sank back into his seat, picking the cell phone back up. Rebekah returned, better attired to play in jeans.

"Are we ready to play, or what?"

* * *

Since he still maintained his stance on not playing the game, Kol was selected to be the designated spinner. The remaining five circled around the game mat, waiting to begin. Kol flicked the spinner.

"All right, ladies and gents. And Rebekah," he grinned at his sister's glare. "First limb up – Left hand. Please place it upon a yellow circle."

They all did as told. Kol spun again.

"Your right foot on blue, please."

Klaus was too busy watching Caroline giggling at Tyler whispering something in her ear to realize he'd stepped on the wrong circle. Kol glanced up to observe and caught his brother off his guard. He seized the moment to make him look like a fool.

"Nik, are you color blind?" he loudly ridiculed. "I said blue, not red!"

Klaus looked up, ashamed. Caroline glanced back at him, grinning triumphantly. So far, she was winning their secret game. Sighing, Klaus maneuvered his way between Tyler and Rebekah to get his foot on the proper color. Chuckling at their contortions, Kol sent the spinner around again.

"Left foot, green." Kol peeked up over the spinner and grinned. "That's a beautiful view, Caroline, darling."

Her blond waves ruffled as she turned her head to glare at him between her legs, but Tyler spoke before she could.

"Watch yourself, Kol."

"Mybad, mate," he smiled, apologetically. "Forgot myself for a moment."

"I'm _not _your mate," Tyler grumbled.

Kol caught Caroline's eye and winked at her. She shook her head, smiling. Rebekah was struggling to stay up right with her feet crossed to stay on the right colors. Normally, it wasn't hard for a vampire to stay upright. But with three others tightly around her, she was just barely balancing.

"Right hand red!" Kol called out.

They all turned simultaneously, in an attempt to reach a red circle. Klaus knocked heads with Rebekah, hard.

"Ow, Nik!" she cried.

"Well, if you didn't take up two circles at once..." he muttered.

She stood, relinquishing her stance and shoved him completely off the mat. Klaus stumbled, falling against the couch. He looked up at her, astounded.

"You cheat!"

"I was _not_ taking up two, circles! Your big feet got in the way!" She whipped around. "Kol? Witness?"

He was staring down at his phone again, the spinner on his lap. "You're out, Beks."

"What!?" she shouted. "But you weren't even looking!"

He glanced up from the phone, addressing no one in particular. "What do you think of Angry Birds? Any good?"

She groaned. "Kol, focus!"

"What?" he finally directed his gaze at her. "You're out. What more do you want from me?"

Rebekah's shoulders slumped. "Well, what about Nik? He's off the mat!"

"Yes, because you pushed me!" he pointed out, exasperatedly.

"Nik is excused by means of foul play," Kol announced.

"You suck, Kol," she pouted, joining him on the couch.

"Old news," he told her, spinning the spinner once more. "Left hand, red."

Everyone began to adjust their positions. Caroline moved so her arms were behind her, and her feet in front, arching over the game mat. Tyler grinned and moved so he was arched almost completely over her. She spared a glance at Klaus who was in the simplest position of all of them. He flashed her a flirty grin, and, in response, she glanced back at Tyler and brushed her fingers over his hair. Her eyes flicked back one more time and Klaus was now frowning.

Elijah, in the meantime, was in a nearly identical position as Caroline, but closer to the couch. Kol peered out of the corner of his eye at his unsuspecting brother and carefully tipped his toes outward toward Elijah's side. With a small but firm push, Elijah was sent off balance and on his side. Kol straightened up as fast as he could, engrossing himself in his cell phone.

"That was uncalled for, Kol!" Elijah fumed.

Kol looked up, innocently. "What? That wasn't me! That was Bekah!"

Rebekah's jaw dropped. "It certainly was not!"

"You really think I would test you after last week?" Kol asked, dully.

Elijah's wary glance switched to Rebekah. She shook her head, appalled.

"Elijah, do _not _believe a word our idiot brother says," she argued. "I couldn't reach you from here if I wanted to!"

Frustrated, Elijah let out a snarling sigh and without another word, threw his hands up in defeat and left the room. Kol burst out into a delighted laughter. Rebekah punched his shoulder, continuously.

"How could you try to pin it on me?" she asked, finally relenting. "You ass."

"Couldn't resist," he answered, still laughing.

* * *

With Elijah's unexpected exit, that left Tyler, Caroline and Klaus still in the game. Caroline and Tyler remained nearly molded to each other in position while Klaus was still holding his own off to the side. Rebekah had plucked the spinner from Kol's grasp once he got distracted with Angry Birds.

"Right hand on yellow," Rebekah instructed.

While Tyler turned one way, Caroline turned the other and found herself suddenly face to face with Klaus. He unnecessarily reached his hand over her stomach to the empty yellow circle and their eyes locked in a heated staredown.

"I love when tables turn," he whispered as close to her as possible.

Caroline maintained her hold as a slight tremor traveled down her spine. Tyler glanced back, eyebrows lowering as he kept an eye on the two. Klaus's eyes traveled the length of her body, knowing she was watching him. A light heat crept up her face, and it showed.

"You almost match the circle you're on," he teased.

"Shut up," she said through clenched teeth.

"We're waiting, Rebekah," Klaus called, keeping his eyes on Caroline's.

"Left foot, yellow," she drawled in boredom.

While the three remaining players followed suit, Kol tore the spinner out of Rebekah's hold, making a face at her.

"Always trying to steal my thunder," he groused, spinning the plastic arrow.

"Get over yourself," she muttered.

Kol glanced down secretively at the slowing spinner and finally looked up wearing a grin.

"I would like everyone to _shift _their left foot to blue."

Just as Klaus and Caroline turned to make the switch, Tyler's body jerkily convulsed. Caroline's eyes immediately widened in concern.

"Tyler? What's going on?"

"I don't – ahhh!" he groaned in pain.

Klaus watched Tyler squirming and losing his footing, then peered up at Kol who was grinning devilishly.

"Tyler is out," he declared, smiling sweetly.

Caroline's head whipped around. "That's not fair!"

"What? He moved his hand."

Giving up her spot, Caroline fell onto her knees beside her boyfriend. She put a cautious hand on his shoulder.

"Tyler, why are you shifting?"

His back twisted, bones snapping. "I have to shift – " he groaned in pain. " – when he says – ahh! – the word!"

He managed to point backward to Kol while growling through a mouth full of fangs. Caroline turned to face Kol, incredulously.

"You _compelled _him to shift!?"

"All in the name of fun," Kol beamed, cheerfully.

"Make him stop, Kol," she demanded. Her expression turned stony. "Now!"

Tyler was on all fours when Kol rolled his eyes and reluctantly called out, "Enough, mate."

But it didn't work. Another long groan trickled out and ended as a growl. Rebekah sped away, hiding behind the doorway. Klaus's face had grown hard, lined with anger as he stared down Tyler in half-wolf form.

"Brilliant idea, Kol," he scolded, hotly. "Truly."

"How was I to know he couldn't turn it off?"

Hearing the commotion, Elijah had reappeared. "What's going on?"

"Another one of Kol's pranks gone awry," Rebekah explained.

Kol rose form the couch, waving his arms so everyone would back away out of the room. Klaus pulled a reluctant Caroline away from her boyfriend and out by Rebekah and Elijah.

"All right, here's the plan," Kol said quickly. "I'll distract Balto here, you all scatter."

"Don't be daft, Kol," Rebekah called out. "You'll get bitten."

"Isn't there some way to reverse it?" Caroline pleaded to Klaus.

"None that I know of, unfortunately."

Rolling his eyes, Kol began walking toward Tyler who was nearly full-fledged werewolf now.

"Kol!" Rebekah cried out. "What the bloody hell are you doing!?"

"Relax, Rebekah. I'm spry. I can outrun him." He turned around and stared at them all, overtly. "Are you going to scatter or what?"

"Kol, look out!" Caroline shouted, nearly lunging over Klaus's shoulder for him.

Just as Tyler's wolf leapt up, Kol pulled out a large dart-like object and stabbed the wolf in the sternum. The canine fell to the ground beside Kol's feet, and stilled. They all stared silently down at the barely breathing, immobilized werewolf.

"So," Kol clasped his hands together. "I guess we're on intermission."

* * *

It took only a few minutes for Tyler's body to shift back, but he was still out cold for a little bit. While he was down for the count, Kol was forced to explain his actions. He confessed to compelling Tyler while they were in the kitchen getting drinks. Caroline yelled at him for having planned the entire thing from the get-go. The only upside to it was that he was well prepared and had the dart of wolfsbane handy as a sort of tranquilizer, but he refused to divulge where he had gotten it in the first place.

Once Tyler had regained consciousness, a new game was on the rise. Of course, Tyler was beyond furious for a short time, having learned that Kol had compelled him. But after a brief private discussion outside with Caroline, he changed his tune, leaving Klaus to wonder exactly what Caroline had done to persuade him. Expressing such, he raised an eyebrow at her as they reentered, but she only smirked in response.

Elijah returned to the game and Rebekah was glad to be able to take part again, but this time she made sure she was nowhere near Klaus. Everyone was set to begin. Everyone except Kol, that is.

"How do they expect you to hit the pigs if the birds won't even go that high!?" he proclaimed.

"Come on, Kol," Klaus urged.

"They don't even break through the stone!"

"Wonderful idea giving him a new phone, Nik," Rebekah reproached.

"All right, all right," Kol receded, tossing the phone aside and sending the spinner around. "Left foot – Green!" When they were settled, he spun again. "Right hand – Red!"

"I feel like a stop light," Klaus muttered under his breath.

"Stop and Go," Caroline remarked, struggling through the tangle of arms and legs. "Sounds about right."

He jerked his head toward her, eyes colder than ice. "Careful how you tread, love."

"Left hand – Blue!" Kol called out.

While Rebekah and Elijah managed to reach the spots with ease, Caroline and Klaus maneuvered around each other, winding up closer than Tyler was comfortable with. Too busy watching the two, Tyler inadvertently slipped and was disqualified.

"Tough break, mate," Kol consoled.

"How many times do I have to tell you, I'm not your _mate!_" Tyler complained.

Kol rolled his eyes. "Obviously more than that," he joked. In a huff, Tyler stalked off replenish his drink. "Right foot, red."

Rebekah, Elijah and Caroline managed to make the transfer, but Klaus fell and landed flat on his back.

"You're out, Nik," Rebekah called, all too happily.

Hearing Caroline laughing at him, Klaus concocted a plan. Still on his back, he squirmed and slid until he was under her bridged body and face to face with her. She stared down, surprised and curious. He beamed up at her, slyly.

"What?" she pretended to be annoyed.

"You know, in all my thousand years there's one thing about vampires I've always wondered."

"What's that?"

A dark, mischievous grin crept over his face. "If they're ticklish."

Caroline's eyes widened in horror. "Don't you _dare_!"

His fingers danced along her sides as he began to tickle her. She swayed her body, trying to move out of his reach, but finally buckled over, succumbing.

"You so just forfeited!" Caroline cried whilst laughing.

"It was worth it," he grinned, still tickling up and down her sides.

"Dude, what the hell?" Tyler's angry voice thundered. "I leave for a minute and you're all over my girl."

Klaus glanced sideways at the hybrid, stilling his hands on Caroline's sides.

"Tyler, relax," Caroline said, still giggling. "He was just trying to make me lose."

"No, Caroline. I'm not gonna relax. Not when he's got his hands on you like that."

They looked down simultaneously and instantly separated.

"Ease up a little, mate," Kol chimed in.

"I am not your goddamn mate!"

"Oh, what is that?! I thought we were buds!"

"I will never be your _bud_, Kol."

"That cuts me deep, Lockwood."

Aggrieved, Tyler turned back to Caroline. "I think it's time to go."

"Oh, come on, Tyler," she groaned. "You're being overly jealous right now for no reason. Klaus was just trying to make me fall."

"Maybe that's how it looks to you, but from where I'm standing it's a different story."

"You're getting worked up over nothing, mate," Klaus assured him.

"Don't _you_ start in."

Caroline sighed. "Tyler, please."

"I want to go, Caroline. Now."

He folded his arms, expecting her to acquiesce. To his surprise, she didn't move, only shrugged.

"Fine. Then leave."

"You're not coming with me?"

"Why should I? You're being ridiculous. I'd rather stay and have fun."

"You call this fun? Being compelled to shift against my own will? "He – " he pointed to Klaus, " – is all over you at every chance he can get. And _he _– " he pointed to Kol, " – is just a jackass."

"Hey!" Kol objected.

"The only one acting like an ass right now, is you, Tyler," Caroline told him. "You're taking this way too far. It was supposed to be fun."

"Well, it's not. Watching your girlfriend flirt with another guy isn't fun. Listening to the dumb sibling rivalries over stupid crap is _not _fun. And him?" He held his arm out toward Kol. "He's the worst part of this whole thing! I don't know how you could call any of this _fun!"_

Without warning, Kol swept in and snapped Tyler's neck. Tyler fell to the floor with a thud, his body gone slack. Caroline's jaw dropped in shock.

"You just killed my boyfriend!"

Kol shrugged. "He was getting annoying."

He slumped back into the couch, picking back up where he left off in Angry Birds. Catching Caroline still staring in awe out of the corner of his eye, he gestured to her and Klaus.

"If you two wanted to snog, now's your chance."


	9. Chapter 9: Never Have I Ever

Oh hey! Who managed to get this chapter up before midnight? THIS GIRL. =)

**xXxWolvesIntheNightxXx **and **mickypants** - You know, I considered Jenga but I can't think of much to do with that other than Kol continuously knocking over the tower on purpose. lol

**thehungergames vampire diaries** - Tyler's not dead. He's a hybrid whose neck got snapped. Just out cold for a few. :P

**Aqualover5711**- Uno Attack? Oh the sound of that has Kol's name written all over it. *adds to list* I'm glad you're enjoying it. I have a blast writing it. :)

* * *

_I love you all. Seriously, your laughs and enjoyment make me so happy. And keeps me motivated to keep playing games with The Originals. :)_

_Okay. So the general consensus is that I do a chapter with the game "Clue Mystery!". I'll have you all know that was #3 on my list to do, but once I read up on the gameplay to refresh my memory I realized how elaborate it would be just to get them playing, so I just continued with other games to keep it going. I would love love love to do this chapter but I want you all aware it might take more than a single week to get it just right, especially considering I'm back in school now, so homework and waking up early are taking up my writing time. Sad panda! If you guys are willing to wait, I'll try my best to get it out but it'll likely take an extra week. So can you guys go without a game night for one week? :P_

_On a different note, this is one of my personal favorite chapters. In the midst of writing it, I realized that every 3rd chapter of this collection of games turned out to be an excuse for everyone to get drunk and act like idiots, and this one is not an exception. But it was totally unintentional, the pattern of drunken game nights! Oh well. _

_Enjoy my dears!_

* * *

Week 9

"Okay, Kol. Pay attention. What you want to do is push it in as far as you can, then _gently _release, and you will get the desired effect."

"I think I know how to do it by now, Nik."

"I'm just making sure because you don't want it to go all over the place. You'll never hit the right spot."

"It's not that hard a spot to miss."

"You'd be surprised. Sometimes it can be very hard to get to. You could easily sprain a finger."

"Okay, can I try it on my own now?"

"I don't think you're ready."

"What!? I was the one who showed _you_, you git!"

"Trust me. I've had time to figure out _all_ the special techniques."

"Oh, for God's sake, Nik!"

"There's an art to it, Kol. You have to knock down all the platforms at once or you won't hit every pig!"

"I'm aware of that. Can I have it back please?"

"Look, I know how to do it. Just let me - "

Kol snatched his phone from his brother's grasp. "I want to figure it out on my own!"

He settled back in his seat at the counter of the kitchen island while Klaus stood across from him, sighing in defeat. It was Friday night – _game night _– and they were playing "Angry Birds". Not the most suitable way to spend an evening, but Kol's obsessive personality had kicked in and trickled over to his brother. Klaus bent over the island again, folding his hands in boredom.

"I'm just trying to show you that you'll _never _get it that way."

Kol rolled his eyes. "I can do it."

"Can't," Klaus stated simply.

"Go bother Caroline, would you?"

"As much as I would love to, she isn't home tonight. And she isn't answering my messages..."

"Pity for you."

"Moreso for you, as it looks like you're the only company I'll have."

Kol looked up then, bewildered. "But it's Family Game Night."

"Apparently, we're skipping it this week."

"Says who!?"

"Rebekah."

With a forceful slam of his hand on the counter, Kol rose from the stool. Klaus watched him with intrigue as he stormed out of the kitchen toward the staircase. He followed Kol, out of curiosity and of having nothing better to do, all the way to the doorway of Rebekah's bedroom. She was standing at her vanity, putting in a pair of diamond stud earrings.

"What do you want?" she asked in a droll tone, glancing sideways at the two.

"Don't you look ravishing," Klaus commented.

Kol tilted his head. "And just where do you think you're going, darling?"

Finished with what she was doing, Rebekah brushed her hair over her shoulder and turned to them with a small huff. "To Elena's house with Elijah."

Klaus and Kol exchanged a weird look. Kol ventured to ask. "Are you having a threesome or something?"

"Ugh, Kol!"

"Actually, she's my plus one," Elijah appeared behind them.

"What kind of todo is going on at the Gilbert household?" Klaus asked him.

"Seems the Game Night theme has grown popular. And, in light of recent events - " he paused to glare at Kol, " - she's holding her own version at her house since she has no intention of ever returning here."

"How is it we're just finding out about this?" Kol half-whined.

"Maybe because no one _wanted _you there," Rebekah jabbed.

"Well that's rubbish," Kol lamented.

"Why would you even want to go? You despise Elena," Klaus asked Rebekah.

"Even so, I enjoy the occasional night out."

"It's a house party," Klaus snickered. "And you're going dressed like _that_?"

He was gesturing to her short crimson dress, belted at the waist, with way too deep a V neck. She'd paired it with black ankle boots. Rebekah looked down at herself and back up at her brother with a satisfied smirk.

"Gives them someone to envy."

Klaus tutted while Kol's eyes widened in revelation. "Are you sure you're just not trying to look _cute _for that Matt Donovan bloke?"

"Shut up, Kol," she said, too quickly. "I can go if I please."

"Oh come on, Bekah. He's human. A lesser being!"

"I think maybe she just wants to live out that whole cheerleader/quarterback fantasy," Klaus joked.

"Ooh. Well, on that note, you have my blessing," Kol taunted with a smug smile.

"We're going to be late if you keep primping, Rebekah," Elijah gently urged her, reminding them he was still there.

"All right, all right," she huffed. She checked the mirror one last time then made to exit her room. Klaus and Kol were still blocking the way out. She narrowed her eyes at them. "Move."

"Anxious are we?"

"Careful, Kol," Klaus warned teasingly. "She's in heat."

"Nik, I swear if you don't move right now - "

He grinned, sardonically. "You're not seriously trying to threaten me, are you, love?"

Rebekah stomped her foot. "Elijah!" she whined.

"Elliiiijahhhh," Kol mocked her, stepping aside, allowing Rebekah out of her room.

Elijah nodded for her to follow and she did, only after making sure to intentionally smack shoulders with Kol in contempt. He stuck his tongue out at her back and followed his three siblings in their descent downstairs.

"I still don't see why _we _were not invited," Kol grumbled. He sighed, over dramatically. "I feel like Cinderella being kept from the ball!"

"You're more an evil stepsister," Klaus laughed.

"Oh. Can Rebekah be the one who turns into a pumpkin at midnight?" he quipped.

"Not the Fairy God Mother?"

Kol grimaced. "The fat one?"

Finally, Rebekah whipped around, eyes blazing. "I, for one, am _thrilled _there will be one game night without either of you to ruin it."

"Agreed," Elijah nodded.

"Ruin it?" Kol's eyebrows knit in confusion. "But we're what makes it fun! You two snootypants' are the killjoys."

"Don't worry, Kol," Klaus said, patting his brother on the back. He met his brother's eyes with a conspiring twinkle. The corners of Kol's mouth twitched as he caught on. "We don't need Elena Gilbert to show us how to have a good time. Let these two go off a'courting."

"At least one of you can be civil," Rebekah sighed.

Elijah and Rebekah bid their brothers adieu and left the house. When Elijah's Cadillac XLR pulled away, Kol turned around eagerly.

"Care to let me in on the evil plan you've just concocted?"

As they sauntered back toward the kitchen, Klaus put his arm around his brother's shoulders with a wicked grin.

"How do you feel about party crashing, Kol?"

* * *

About a half hour later, giving their siblings some time to get acquainted, Kol and Klaus headed off to the Gilbert household. They were walking toward the end of the walkway when they came face to face with Stefan and Damon. They faced off in an awkward dual staring contest. Klaus was first to break.

"And where are you two gents off to?"

Damon's mouth turned up in a half smile. "Crashing Elena's game night. You?"

Kol raised an uneasy eyebrow. "Same."

Klaus' eyes sparkled with mischief. "Elena didn't invite you?"

"Caroline didn't invite you?" Stefan shot back.

Klaus's smile faltered but he recovered gracefully. "Unfortunately, no. But Elijah somehow managed to make the cut."

Damon's face contorted with anger. "She invited _him_?"

"Isn't that what I just said?"

"You two must've really screwed up," Kol teased.

"Likewise, if Caroline's not extending the invitation," Stefan was all too pleased to remind.

"Why do you keep throwing that in my face?" Klaus sulked.

Stefan grinned, evilly. "Because it finally gives me something to hold over you."

Klaus chuckled. "All right then. So, evidently we are in agreement with our goals here."

"One problem with your plan, Klaus," Stefan smirked. "You two haven't been invited in."

Damon smirked triumphantly, knocking Kol's shoulder in passing. "Don't you hate it when that happens?"

"Minor detail," Kol remarked, blurring past them to knock on the door. "And very easily fixed."

Working in Kol's favor, Jeremy swung the door open. He eyed all four with contempt and began shaking his head.

"No. No way. No solicitors."

Kol put his hand in the doorway to stop the door from shutting. He cocked his head to the side, grinning. "What's your rush, mate?" And just like that, he caught Jeremy's unyielding gaze. "Jeremy, my old _bud. _Won't you invite my brother and I inside your lovely abode?"

Jeremy blinked, amused. "Seriously, dude? You're trying to compel me?"

Kol's face fell instantly. Stefan patted his shoulder, apologetically, and walked inside the house. Damon paused, smiling disparagingly.

"Next time, check to make sure your victim's not on vervain."

He followed his brother inside, brushing right past Jeremy without a single conviction. Jeremy stared back at the two Originals on his stoop, shaking his head laughingly. He closed the door and they were left standing there, hopeless.

Klaus and Kol stared at each other, not sure what to do. But in a matter of sixty seconds there was an eruption of protests ringing out of the house. The door swung open again and before they could register what was happening, Damon and Stefan were being thrust into them. After a bout of shoving to get out of each other's way, the four stood staring at Elena. Upon seeing Klaus and Kol, her shoulders dropped and she sighed.

"You too?"

"Elena, don't you dare let them back..." Caroline's voice trailed. "What're _you_ guys doing here?"

On cue, Bonnie appeared next with the face of disapproval. "Uh-uh. One is enough."

"One is _never _enough," Kol argued. "Especially if the one is me."

Damon scoffed. "What makes you think they'll let you in if they're kicking _us _out?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "Look. The four of you are _not _invited into my house. At least for tonight."

Rebekah was the next to show her disdained face. "Seriously? You two are party crashing now? Have you nothing better to do?"

"Come on, ladies. We brought refreshments," Klaus coaxed, pulling two bottles out of nowhere.

Kol's eyebrows shot up. "Where'd you get those?"

"Party etiquette, Kol. Never arrive empty handed."

"But you brought _me_. I'm the gift that keeps giving."

"Like herpes?" Matt chuckled, appearing in the doorway.

Kol's face fell flat. He glanced at Rebekah. "Can I kill him _now_?"

"No," she glared.

"Enough! Get off my stoop," Elena demanded, slamming the door closed in all four faces.

"That went well," Stefan grumbled.

"Next time you crash a party, make sure the host doesn't hate you," Kol smiled sweetly at Damon.

Damon glowered and tried to step in Kol's face but was held back by Stefan's hand on his shoulder.

"Come on, let's get out of here," Stefan muttered, pulling Damon's arm.

Damon's shoulders slumped. "I can't believe she chose _Elijah _of all people."

"I was rooting for you, mate," Klaus offered his two cents.

"I was rooting for me," Kol chimed in.

Damon scoffed in disgust. "Let's go before I have to kick an Original's ass..."

As they whooshed off into the distance, Kol turned back to his brother. He plucked one of the bottles of Bourbon from Klaus and opened it, sniffing it with a shudder, then took a sip.

"Well, now you know where your woman's been hiding."

Klaus turned the second bottle in his hands. He stared at the label, without reading it. "Evidently, she did not think it important to notify me."

"Or she was told not to," Kol offered, trying to reassure his brother.

"Doesn't matter," he said, tautly. He held up his bottle, the liquid making a noise as it sloshed. "We can have our own party."

"That's the spirit," Kol grinned.

"Bottoms up," Klaus toasted, clanking his bottle with Kol's.

* * *

In a half hour's time, each bottle was down a quarter of its content. Kol and Klaus had resorted to sitting outside one of the windows of Elena's house, sneakily onlooking the party in the living room. So far, a table had been set up to play Beer Pong but a game hadn't started yet. They were too busy trying to pick teams. Jeremy and Matt were bromancing around, Rebekah watching wistfully from the couch, while the rest of the girls were engaging in conversation with Elijah, all of them smiling.

"When did Elijah become such a pimp?!" Kol exclaimed. "Look how all the ladies surround him!"

"Matt and Jeremy _are _there," Klaus pointed out.

Kol paused. "I stand by my previous statement."

Caroline and Elijah looked up, glancing toward the window, obviously having heard them with their vampire auditory senses. They exchanged a glance but it was Caroline who walked over. She opened the window effortlessly, and faced them with an expression of disappointment.

"If Elena catches either of you peeping Tom's she's going to be pissed," she whispered.

"Where's Tyler?" Klaus asked, throwing her off topic.

She blinked, her eyes lit with a smile but her lips pressed into a thin line. "He's not too thrilled with the idea of anymore Family Game Nights."

"Can't imagine why," he smirked.

"Are you going to get your friend to let us in, or what?" Kol implored.

"It's out of my hands, guys."

"Care, who are you talking to?" Elena was asking as she approached. Her eyes widened upon discovering the two Originals. "This is beyond disturbing."

"If you had let us in in the first place, we could have avoided this," Klaus told her.

She cocked her head, defiantly. "Come on, Caroline. We're about to start."

Caroline shrugged as Elena shut the window and locked it. Elijah and Rebekah grinned in their direction as they made their way to the table. Kol took another swig from his bottle, watching his sister fuss over Matt, flipping her hair flirtatiously.

"What does she see in that pathetic excuse for a human?"

A sudden burst of liquid exploded in front of him and shattered glass showered down. Klaus had smashed his bottle into the window, succeeding in breaking both. Kol gaped at his brother in astonishment.

"Why would you waste the good alcohol!?" he fumed.

Elena rushed over. "Did you just break my window?!"

"I'm thinking you now have to let us in," Klaus smiled sweetly.

"You think that's going to win me over?" she laughed. "That just worsened your case."

She stalked off back toward the table, Klaus glaring angrily after her.

"You're going to have to let us in sometime," he called.

"Not happening!" Elena's voice sang out.

He sighed in contempt and joined Kol in watching the game. They shouted out obnoxious insults in hopes of getting each team to miss the cup, and succeeded quite a few times – mostly during Rebekah's turns.

"If she makes this cup, you have to kiss her Matt," Kol called through the window.

Matt turned and gaped at him. "I have to what?"

"Lookit her! Isn't that a gorgeous face? Don't you just want to slobber all over it?!"

One of the beer pong balls flew out the window directly at Kol's head. He caught it before it hit, in a display of his vampire reflexes.

"Mature, Bek. That'll impress him."

Klaus plucked the plastic ball from Kol's hands. "I have a proposition for you," he called, spinning it in his hands. "If I can make this into the furthest cup, you let us in."

Elena smirked, glancing at her friends. "Deal."

Klaus grinned. He took his stance and aimed the throw, then released. Much to his dismay, Elijah zoomed in front of the table at the last minute and caught the ball, expertly, between just his thumb and index fingers. He wore a tiny smile of delight.

"You lose."

"Cheaters never prosper, Elijah," Klaus said, coldly.

"You would know."

Klaus walked away from the window, grabbing Kol's bottle to take a long swig. Kol had taken notice of Rebekah conversing with a stupidly grinning Matt. He snickered, having an idea.

"Rebekah and Matt, snogging in his truck," Kol chanted in singsong. "She's a bitchy vampire and he's a little - "

"SHUT IT, KOL!" Rebekah roared, furiously.

"Only when they let us in," he called out, happily then picked up his chant where he left off. "First comes sex, then a needy Beks, eventually she tires and Matt says NEXT!"

"I am going to rip your throat out myself if you don't shut up!"

"You should turn him. He'd be so much more fun that way."

Matt looked stunned. "No one's turning me into a vampire, okay?"

"What have you got against vampires?" Klaus asked, intrigued.

Matt's face drained of color as he glanced around the room at the vampiric majority. "Maybe you should just let them in, Elena," he suggested, trying to climb out of the hole he'd dug himself into.

"There's hope for you yet, mate," Kol grinned.

"Don't egg them on," Rebekah said, putting a hand on Matt's shoulder. "They'll just ruin everything."

"They kinda already have."

"Yeah, I mean, they broke our window," Jeremy pointed out. "What if they blow up the house?"

"Possible, but not likely," Klaus responded from the window. "Although there _is _a propane tank here..."

"If anything, it'll shut them up," Caroline added hopefully, clearly not at all averse to taking their side.

Klaus smiled at all the support. "What do you say, Miss Gilbert?"

"End this insufferable torture!" Kol pleaded dramatically.

"Fine," she sighed exasperatedly.

"Are you sure about this?" Elijah stopped her. "You remember what happened last time."

"I don't think it could get any worse than that," she told him, miserably. "Come on in, guys."

* * *

Once inside the party, Elena decided to change up the game and start a round of "Never Have I Ever...". Everyone gathered into a circle. Elena had gathered the remaining bottles, adding Klaus and Kol's remaining bottle to the mix, and gave out shot glasses. Since Elijah had never heard of the game, she explained the rules:

"Each person says something they've never done. If you've done it, you take a shot. If you haven't, you don't do anything."

"And what is the point of this game, exactly?" he asked.

"Just to get drunk," Caroline informed him.

"_And _to learn fun facts about your friends," Elena added.

"I love it already," Kol cheered.

"I'll go first." Elena straightened. "Let's see. Never have I ever..." She glanced at Jeremy and her eyes narrowed. "Smoked pot."

Rolling his eyes, Jeremy took a shot. Matt and Klaus joined him.

Kol watched his brother with perplexity. "When were you a stoner, Nik?"

"The 70s," he answered, drolly. "Hardly remember that decade, actually. Wild acid trip. Literally."

"Wish I could have been there," Kol muttered, bitterly. "I was a bit busy being _daggered_!"

"You didn't miss much," Klaus assured him.

"Who's next?" Caroline asked.

Klaus raised a finger, signifying his desire. "Never have I ever led somebody on, romantically."

Caroline glared and reluctantly took a shot. Elena's eyes were glued to the floor as she tried to remain inconspicuous.

"Take the shot, Elena," Bonnie urged with a roll of her eyes. "Damon and Stefan count."

"Don't forget me," Matt mumbled.

"I never led you on, Matt," Elena argued, even though she knew it wasn't true.

"It's okay," he laughed, good-naturedly. "I'm over it."

"You go, Matt," Caroline said, cheerfully.

"Okay. Um...never have I...wore pink underwear," he grinned.

All of the females sighed and took a shot. Surprisingly, so did Kol. The majority stared at him in shock.

"What?" he shrugged. "I am _very _secure in my manhood."

"And not very good with laundry," Klaus added, also taking a shot.

"I guess that includes me," Elijah said, lifting his shot glass. "I'd forgotten about that."

"Yes," Rebekah nodded, reminiscing. "The Great Red T-Shirt Incident. Not to mention you shrunk my _favorite _blouse!"

"You are such a grudge holder," Kol chided.

"You were never even supposed to do the laundry that day. I could still have that shirt if you didn't have to prove to us you were capable, which you actually were _not_."

"Ye of little faith..."

"Can we get back to the game?" Matt urged.

"Okay, I got one," Jeremy piped up. He smiled knowingly. "I've never done the walk of shame."

Caroline and Rebekah cheers-ed their shot glasses and drank. Kol took a double and Klaus just started drinking from the bottle.

"Wow. That's telling," Caroline muttered.

"A thousand years a long time, love," he responded. "I'm somewhat notorious."

"I bet," she said sourly.

"Never have I ever kissed someone other than my significant other," Bonnie said, suddenly.

Jeremy scoffed and took his shot. He flashed her a flirty grin. "You just wanna get me drunk, Bennett."

She glanced away, smiling. "Maybe."

Caroline, in the meantime, was trying to take a shot without anyone noticing. Of course, that plan failed when Matt caught her and cocked his head playfully.

"Who did you kiss?"

"Well, technically Tyler kissed _me _when I was still with you..."

"Oh. Yeah, that."

"But it's supposed to be _you _who kissed someone," Kol told her, tactfully.

"Has anyone ever told you you are terrible at keeping secrets?"

"Yes, actually. Several times. But let's not deviate. Are you going to fess up or shall I?"

Caroline sighed in defeat. "Okay, fine. Pretty much everyone here knows anyway. I kissed Klaus."

Jeremy was floored. "Are you serious?"

"The repulsion on your face is encouraging," Klaus said sarcastically.

"I think I need a shot just hearing that," Matt muttered.

"Oh, whatever," Caroline groaned. "It's not _that _big a deal."

"Let's...continue the game," Elena urged, sensing tension growing.

"Never have I ever been compelled," Rebekah said, triumphantly.

About half the room took shots.

"Can Originals be compelled?" Jeremy asked, genuinely curious.

"Not that I'm aware of," Klaus answered.

"It'd be an interesting notion," Elijah commented.

"We should test it," Kol suggested. "I know you're dying to compel me, Elijah."

"Don't be daft, Kol," Rebekah said. "Why would you even want to be compelled?"

"It would be nice to find out," Elijah mused, considering the idea.

"Give it your best shot, brother," Kol said, gesturing for Elijah to come forth.

Everyone watched in quiet anticipation as the two Originals shuffled so they were in front of each other. Kol focused intently on his brother's eyes, to a point where he'd widened his eyes _too _wide causing everyone to laugh.

"Stop it, Kol," Elijah warned, trying to concentrate. He centered in his gaze on Kol's eyes, watching his pupils constrict and dilate. "From this moment henceforth, you will no longer treat me with disrespect and be a civil brother."

After another moment, he tilted his head, releasing Kol's gaze. He watched his brother, expectantly.

"My dear, Elijah," Kol started, in a gentle tone. He put both hands on Elijah's face. "You are a bananahead."

Elijah cast his gaze downward, laughing at his failed attempt. He raised his eyebrows at the room as he and Kol returned to their seats. "Well, that should answer your question."

"Caroline hasn't gone yet," Bonnie pointed out.

"Hmmmm," Caroline pondered. "Never have I ever walked around the house naked."

Kol glanced at her, surprised. "Really?!"

She laughed. "I live with my mom, so no."

"Not all of us have that luxury," Jeremy laughed.

"Thank god," Elena groaned.

"Consider yourselves lucky, then," Rebekah said.

Caroline looked up, eagerly. "Why? Who struts around your house nude?"

Kol grinned. "Come by anytime for the show, love."

"It's true," Elijah confirmed. "I've had the displeasure of witnessing it, many a time."

"Don't let Elijah fool you, ladies. I've caught him once or twice in his room."

Elijah shook his head, grunting. "I need to move out."

"Move in with Elena," Caroline urged, all too obviously. "They need a man in the house."

"Thanks, Caroline," Jeremy shrugged. "That's...emasculating."

"Sorry, Jeremy," she smiled, sheepishly. "I forgot."

"Ouch," Matt laughed, shoving his buddy in the arm playfully.

"Whatever."

"Don't worry, mate," Kol reassured him. "That's just her clever way of trying to help get her friend laid."

Jeremy's eyebrows lowered. "Wait, what?!"

Elena sighed while Elijah glared at his brother. "Do you always have to have such a big mouth, Kol?"

Kol shrugged. "Lady Gaga says it's okay because I was born this way..."

"Oh my god," Caroline fell over in laughter, the rest of the room soon joining her.

* * *

By the third round of "Never Have I Ever..." no one was coherent enough to come up with a legitimate occurrence. The game soon dwindled as everyone was drunk, or nearly there. Caroline was the worst off, head in Klaus's lap, as per usual. Drunk as he was, he had no complaints. Jeremy was sitting with Kol, taking turns in drunken Angry Birds. Neither were successful in completing a level yet. Rebekah and Matt, on the other hand, were probably the least drunk. She was still on a mission to win him over, and gotten as far as finally catching his interest with the mention of cheerleading and football games.

"Feel like a walk?" she asked him, suddenly.

Matt nodded. "I could use some fresh air."

"Hands to yourself, Matt!" Kol called after them.

Matt just shook his head, snickering, as the two exited the room. Caroline let out a small "hmmph" in amusement, shifting her head in Klaus's lap.

"That's _so _code for a makeout session," Caroline murmured.

"In that case, _I _could use some fresh air, as well," Klaus grinned down at her.

"You have bourbon breath," she grimaced.

"So do you."

She covered her mouth with her hand and exhaled into it. "Ew. I do."

After giving up on Angry Birds, Kol abandoned Jeremy to sit on the arm of the chair Bonnie was in.

"Hello," he smiled.

She glanced up at him, warily. "What?"

"Bonnie Bennett. Just rolls right off the tongue," Kol laughed, drunkenly. "You know, I never noticed how attractive you are. I just love how weirdly crooked your mouth is!"

Bonnie gasped, her hands flying to hide her mouth. Caroline rolled her eyes, shaking her head a bit too hard.

"He's drunk," she managed to get out in her alcoholic stupor. "Your mouth s'not crooked."

"I can fix it," Kol continued, making kissy faces at her.

"Ugh!" Bonnie cringed in disgust, rising from her seat.

"Spoilsport." Kol slid into the now empty seat and pulled his phone back out, beginning to toy with it.

"Does he just hit on anything that moves?" she asked Caroline, joining Jeremy on the couch.

"Pretty much."

"I've never heard you complain before," Klaus said.

"Because I think it's funny."

Klaus smiled. "Don't tell _him_ that."

"BLOODY HELL!" Kol shouted, suddenly.

Caroline lifted her head. "What?"

"My scores! They're still intact!" he announced, gleefully. "My reign of Temple Running prevails!"

"Oh god..." Caroline groaned, letting her head thump back in Klaus's lap.

Klaus squeezed the rim of his nose. "Will it never end?"

Jeremy glanced at them, confusedly. "What's Temple Run?"

Ignoring him, Kol leapt up off the couch, scanning the room for his brother. "Where's Elijah? I _have_ to rub this in his face!"

Everyone looked around for the missing Original. Bonnie shrugged.

"Bathroom?"

As Kol headed out of the room, he heard voices coming from the second level. He headed toward the stairs, not catching Caroline's confused musing: "Hey. Where's Elena?"

"Elijah, you wanker! Where are you?"

He heard muffled whispers coming from behind one of the closed doors in the hallway. He put his ear to it and heard a distinct moan in the form of Elijah's name. Furrowing his eyebrows, he opened the door thinking Elijah was inside. What he saw would surely scar him for his long unnatural life but before he could register all of the bare limbs, a loud shout of protest thundered.

"KOL, GET OUT!" Elijah's voice roared.

Kol vanished in a flash, leaving the door hanging wide open. He stopped only when he was back in the living room. Everyone was staring, dumbfounded, obviously having heard the yell.

"Dude?" Jeremy asked.

Kol glanced up, his face whiter than normal. He fished the iPhone out of his pocket and handed it to Klaus. "Hide my phone."


	10. Chapter 10: Clue Mystery!

**mickypants**– Mousetrap may just be on my list... :)

**Aqualove5711**– Operation is so on my list. Kol nudging Klaus' elbow so he loses? Oh yes!

**ReluctantLunatic**– "Sorry!" is one of the first games on the list of any game night. But it's really not that exciting a game. I just can't figure out what to do with it.

_Well. I saw two or three people wondering where the chapter was last week. I said last time that this next chapter would take two weeks. I mean, it's not __necessary__ to read this author note section, but usually if something's going on with the posting of the chapter, it'll be up here for your convenience.  
So, here's hoping I can get back to the Originals actually playing a game, as opposed to getting carried away with shipping antics. I don't know that this is exactly worthy of a two-week wait, but I've had a lot on my plate. Still, I managed to go out and buy the game to remember how to play. Hopefully you guys allay my insecurities. :)_

You know, I started this chapter with every intention of giving Elijah and Rebekah some spotlight but somehow Kol managed to steal it away, as always. That weasel!

_(Also – I in no way, shape, or form approve of Hitler. Just saying.)  
_

* * *

Week 10

For the tenth consecutive week in a row, Family Game Night was afoot. The Original siblings had clambered together into the great room, awaiting their eldest brother's arrival. He was holed up in his room, doing God knows what, but no one dared to disturb him. Kol especially, after the mishap from the week before. Headlights glared into the window, catching the siblings' attention. Rebekah eagerly scrambled up on her knees to look out the window. An old truck was pulling up to park. At her request, Matt was invited to join the festivities this week. Much to her dismay, he arrived with Caroline on the passenger's side. She rushed from the window to open the door to meet him.

"What's up Rebekah?" Matt said casually as he walked up, Caroline in tow.

"Hi Matt," Rebekah greeted with a smile, completely disregarding Caroline as she latched onto his arm and ushered him inside.

Rolling her eyes in contempt, Caroline shut the door behind her and followed the pair into the great room. She waved to Kol who was lounging on the couch with his legs up and playing "Temple Run" on his phone, as usual. Klaus gestured for her to join him on the opposite couch when Rebekah sat with Matt, foiling his plan.

"Isn't there somewhere else you could sit?" he asked Rebekah with a glare.

She turned her head sharply, sticking her tongue out at him then went straight back to batting her eyelashes at an oblivious Matt. As Caroline approached, Klaus gave her a small shrug.

"There's always your lap," she reminded him cheerfully, and fell right into it.

He grinned, shifting so he could lean his arm along her shoulders. "Your ideas are always more creative than mine."

"No, you're just more old school than I am," she said simply.

"That sounded like a bit of an insult, love."

"Hey. It's however you want to take it. ...Old man," she added teasingly.

He squeezed her shoulder in protest, gazing up at her through heated eyes. Caroline challenged his gaze with one of her own.

Matt was watching them, an awkward look on his face. "I can't get used to that."

Rebekah glanced back in boredom. "Them? They're nauseating."

"Speak for yourself!" Caroline shot back, having overheard.

"Oh please," Rebekah rolled her eyes. "At least I have more class than to jump back and forth between two guys."

Caroline's jaw dropped. Kol, who had been miraculously silent the entire time, finally let out a small chuckle.

"Apologize, Rebekah," Klaus demanded.

"I will not," she snapped. "Besides, she's not even supposed to be here."

"Um, I was invited!" Caroline protested.

Rebekah scoffed at her brother. "We can't ever have one Caroline-free week? Why do you _always_have to invite her?"

He grinned, fingers dancing along Caroline's shoulder. "Because I fancy her."

Rolling her eyes, Rebekah turned her back to both of them. Matt cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the tension.

"So uh, what game are we playing?" he asked.

"As soon as Elijah arrives, we'll know," Klaus told him. A door slammed somewhere in the house. Klaus' eyes directed toward the sound. "Which seems will be very shortly."

Kol's head snapped up. He quickly stuffed his iPhone into the back pocket of his jeans and made for the exit of the room. Elijah walked in abruptly, box underarm, bumping right in to Kol. Kol backed up, shifting his gaze. Elijah cleared his throat, awkwardly. They tried to move to the side to allow the other through simultaneously, inadvertently going to the same side. They tried again, to no avail. Finally, Kol sighed and backed out of the way to let Elijah in the room. Elijah nodded in gratitude and Kol rushed out of the room.

"That was almost painful to watch," Klaus commented with an amused grin.

"We haven't spoken since last week," Elijah explained, taking a seat in one of the leather armchairs.

"It's been a blissful silence," Rebekah said. "Don't ruin it now."

"Perhaps you've scarred him," Klaus shrugged.

"He walked in without warning. It was his own demise."

"Man," Matt was shaking his head. "I can't even imagine if that happened to me."

"Well, if you date Rebekah you can be sure it will," Klaus smirked.

Rebekah shot him a glare while Matt shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"As if you needed a better reason not to," Caroline threw in her two cents.

Klaus gave her a funny look, noting the bitter tone in her voice. His attention was diverted as soon as Elijah placed the game box on the table before them. It read off "Clue Mystery!".

"Oh man!" Matt exclaimed. "I haven't played Clue in forever."

"You know how to play then?" Elijah nodded at him.

"I mean, I remember the basics." He turned to Caroline, wearing a laughing smile. "You remember that night at Elena's when we played and you wound up knocking the entire board over?"

Caroline grinned, embarrassedly. "It was the first time I had tequila!"

"I don't think she ever found the candlestick..."

"Hey, you weren't exactly sober either! You and Tyler totally started doing that dance and - "

"Then Tyler got sick - "

" – all over Elena's floor! You were cheering him on like it was a sport!"

"I had never seen anyone blow chunks like that before," he laughed. "At least not until later when you had me holding your hair back."

"Oh god," she groaned, bowing her head in shame. "Please. Let's not even."

"Your eyes were all puffy from crying," his voice softened.

"I wasn't crying," she quietly argued. "My eyes were watery from heaving so hard."

Matt was smiling at her, wistfully. "That was a fun night."

She smiled too. "It was."

Angrily spying the bittersweet nostalgic aura between them, Rebekah straightened up.

"Well," she said, sourly, "that was a fun trip down memory lane."

The room grew awkwardly silent. Matt and Caroline were both avoiding eye contact with anyone or anything but the floor. Klaus and Rebekah had a conversation between eyes, in the mean time. She was pouting and he had raised his eyebrows to chastise. Her own eyes narrowed, snootily. He rolled his and Rebekah finally looked away. Elijah was reading the directions to the game the entire time, indifferent to the tension around him. Kol finally returned, glasses and bottles in hand. He snuck a few nervous glances at Elijah as he divvied out the booze.

"So, Matt," Klaus broke the silence. "What are your intentions with our Rebekah?"

"Nik!" Rebekah was appalled.

Both Matt's and Caroline's heads jerked up. Caroline turned to face her friend, waiting for his answer.

"Intentions?!"

"Ignore him," she begged Matt. "He's trying to cause trouble."

Matt nodded. "Nothing new there."

Klaus's eyes had cooled. "Smart mouth for a quarterback."

"Are you saying I'm stupid because I play football?" Matt glared.

With a snarky grin, Klaus simply raised his hands in surrender, not quite answering the question. The room soon began humming with separate conversations from both pairs. Kol, in the meantime, was watching Elijah set the game up in complete and utter silence. Hands folded neatly, eyes wide and exuberant, he was the epitome of innocence. Feeling Kol watching him, Elijah finally met his gaze.

"Okay, look. We can both acknowledge that what happened last week was both awkward and humiliating, yes?"

Surprised at being directly addressed, Kol widened his already wide eyes and nodded silently.

"Will you agree to move past it in an attempt to conduct a normal Family Game Night? No vengeance from my end, no rehashing on yours."

Kol stared long and hard at his brother before his lips finally twisted into a smirk. Again, he nodded without a word. Elijah nodded tentatively in agreement and went back to sorting out the cards. Kol idly tapped his fingers on the table, smirk still firmly in place.

"I noticed you neglected to utilize protection with the doppleganger," he spouted.

The cards fanned out of Elijah's grasp and he looked up startled. Kol smiled sweetly at his brother.

Klaus hung his head in laughter. "You _did _say you wanted a normal game night..."

* * *

While Elijah started to sort out all of the cards, Kol took over the directions.

"Okay. We have six game tokens, all color coded," Kol told them. "There's Colonel Mustard, Professor Plum, Reverend Green, Mrs. White, Miss Scarlet and Ms. Peacock."

Rebekah plucked the red piece and put it on the starting point. "She's the prettiest on the box."

"Think I'll go for Reverend Green," Klaus said, taking the green piece.

"Isn't that a bit of a paradox?" Elijah asked. "You're far from a Saint."

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "It's a _game_, Elijah. At any rate, I'd be fantastic preacher."

"Preach on, brutha man," Kol mocked. Klaus raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Sorry."

"I'll be Colonel Mustard," Matt volunteered, taking the yellow game piece.

"All right," Kol cheered. "Mattie is Mustard." He paused, blinking. He slammed his hand on the table. "From this moment henceforth, I decree you Mattie Mustard!"

"Seriously?" Matt laughed.

Caroline nodded. "You've just been Kolled."

"Is that like Rick Rolled?"

"Better," Kol beamed.

"Mattie Mustard..." Matt snickered.

"It could be worse," Rebekah assured him.

"Like Daddy 'Lijah," Elijah grumbled, inconspicuously taking the purple piece to be Professor Plum.

"Yeah," Caroline agreed. "Or Miss 69."

"I'd forgotten about that!" Kol exclaimed. "You are Miss 69, aren't you, lovey?"

"Do I even want to know how you got that nickname?" Matt joked.

"Funny story, that," Kol began.

"Okay, I'll be Miss Peacock," Caroline announced, changing the subject.

Kol smirked. "You like it because it has the word 'cock' in it."

"No, that's why _you _like it," Caroline retorted.

"Sorry, darling. I might own a bat but I don't play for the other team." He glanced back the remaining piece. "Who's Mrs. White?"

"You are Kol," Elijah smiled, pleased with his thievery.

"I have to be the _maid_? That's no fair. It's _always _the maid!"

"Suitable, as you're good at making messes," Rebekah taunted.

Before he could protest, Elijah spoke, picking up the dice. "Okay. We roll to see who goes first."

"Oh, just give Nik the first spot," Kol rolled his eyes. "He always gets it anyway."

Klaus gave a gallic shrug. "I can't help that luck always seems to work in my favor."

"Yeah, _luck_," Rebekah scoffed, rolling the dice and her eyes. It read 9.

Kol went next, getting a 10. "Oh, look at that! Perhaps your luck is changing!"

Klaus swiped the dice and rolled a 12. He gave Kol a smug grin. Kol slouched in his seat, crossing his arms. As everyone took their turn, the rotation was as follows: Klaus, Kol, Rebekah, Elijah, Matt, Caroline.

"I don't get it," Rebekah eyed the board. "What do we have to do?"

"Okay, so, the little envelope has the cards that say who the murderer is, what they used, and in what room it was in. You move around the board trying to get into the rooms," Matt explained. "When you get in a room you can start a rumor about who the murderer is to get clues."

"Brilliant job, Mattie Mustard!" Kol acknowledged.

Elijah nodded, confirming Matt's explanation as he read the directions. "It says, if the person to your left has a card to disprove it, they show you. If not, you go around until someone else has one."

"And if they don't?" Rebekah asked.

"Then that ends your turn."

Kol picked up his blank clue dossier. "So why do we have these papers?"

"To check off clues, Kol," Elijah told him. "Weren't you listening?"

"He never said anything about that," Kol argued. He pointed to the yellow envelope. "And why do all the weapons have to go in the Pool?"

"Because that's what the rules say..." Elijah told him.

"Why do we have to figure out what's in the envelope?"

"Because that's how the game works!"

"Why are you yelling?!"

"BECAUSE!" Elijah sighed, composing himself. "How do I always manage to fall for your hijinks?"

Kol just smiled at his brother innocently. Klaus sat up, letting Caroline slide into the couch beside him. His eyes were alight with conspiracy.

"You know he got his Temple Run scores back, Elijah?"

Elijah's eyes widened at the revelation. Kol turned to Klaus, aghast.

"Throw me under a bus, why don't you, Nik!"

"That is very good to know," Elijah nodded, eyes narrowing. "Thank you, Klaus."

After a few minutes of bickering, the game began. Kol was the first to manage to get inside a room, which happened to be The Spa. He smirked as he contemplated his rumor. He quietly picked up the blue game piece – Caroline's – and placed it into the room.

"I accuse Mrs. Cock - "

Caroline rolled her eyes. "It's Mrs. Peacock."

"I've deemed her Mrs. Cock, and that's final." He stared at the blue piece a moment, an idea forming. Turning to Caroline with a gleeful smile, he told her, "I've decided to change your name from Miss 69 to Ms. Cock."

"Because that's any better," Caroline muttered.

"So! That said, I accuse _Mrs. Cock, _in the Spa." He picked up one of the silver weapons. "With a...what is this?"

"A dumbbell," Matt informed him. "Like weights?"

"Three cheers for jocks," Kol said wryly. "Ms. Cock in the Spa with the dumbbell."

"You _are _a dumbbell," Rebekah scoffed.

"Oh, how cute," Kol teasingly gushed. "Rebekah made a funny."

Since Klaus was on his left, he had to disprove Kol's theory. He showed a card and Kol checked off his sheet. Rebekah rolled the dice to take her turn. She, too, arrived in The Spa.

"I accuse Mrs. Peacock, as well, with the knife," she stated. "Since her and her friends enjoy stabbing people in the _back_!"

"Oh, get over it already, Rebekah," Caroline groaned. "Besides, that was Elena, not me."

"Guilty by association," the original told her, stubbornly.

"Whatever."

Matt was on Rebekah's left and proved her accusation false. Taking note of his siblings allegations, Elijah began scribbling furiously on his clue sheet, eyebrows lowered, the tip of his tongue curled over his upper lip.

"I think he's taking it just a bit too seriously," Klaus noted.

Elijah looked up. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Kol said nonchalantly. "How's it going there, champ?"

"Don't call me 'champ', Kol," he reprimanded, picking up the dice to take his turn. He rolled and managed to get to The Observatory. "Okay," Elijah hummed, staring long and hard at the game board, considering his many options. "Okay." His fingers continuously scratched at his chin. "Okay..."

Kol groaned. "It's not brain surgery, Elijah."

"Okay. I'm going to go with..." His eyes darted back and forth between Mr. Plum and Miss Scarlet. He picked up the red token, gazing intently at it. "I think...no, no, wait."

Rebekah sighed, exasperatedly. "Elijah, just choose!"

"Okay. Miss Scarlet," he decided on, putting the game piece in the room. "No, that's not it." Everyone huffed as he promptly picked the piece up again and exchanged it for the yellow one. "Colonel Mustard. Definitely Colonel Mustard."

"Brilliant. Now hurry up and pick a weapon so we can get on with it," Kol urged.

Elijah glanced down at his dossier, then back at the pile of weapons in the center. "Which one is the candlestick?"

A bored expression on his face, Klaus leaned forth and plucked the miniature candlestick from the heap and held it out to his brother.

"Oh. That's not the one I wanted then," Elijah shook his head.

Klaus let the metal candlestick drop back down, eyes narrowing. "All due respect, Elijah, you're making this game very hard to enjoy."

"I just want to be sure," Elijah told him, concentrating on his paper again. "Okay. Colonel Mustard with the rope in the Observatory." Relieved, Klaus handed his brother the plastic rope. "No, wait!"

"ELIJAH!" Kol snarled.

"All _right_, Kol. You don't have to raise your voice."

With that, he simply picked back up the candlestick and neatly positioned it beside the yellow game token. "I'd like to spread the rumor that Colonel Mustard was the murder with the use of the candlestick in the Observatory."

"Finally," Kol muttered.

"Actually..."

"Don't you dare, Elijah!"

"Kidding," Elijah smirked.

While someone tried to refute the rumor, Klaus took notice of Caroline watching Rebekah fawn over Matt through narrowed eyes. He leaned in so his lips nearly touched her ear.

"Do you disapprove of my sister's interest in your friend?" he whispered.

"As a matter of fact, yes," she whispered back, turning to face him. "He can do better."

Klaus' eyebrows lowered. "Rebekah may be stubborn but she has a good heart."

"Well so does Matt. And she doesn't deserve him. At all." Klaus regarded her with a curious expression. It made her uncomfortable. "_What_?"

"You're jealous," he declared.

"I am not!" she said too loudly. Heads turned briefly at the outburst. Caroline ducked her own head, embarrassedly. Once the gameplay resumed, Caroline met Klaus' eyes again. "I am _not _jealous of Rebekah."

"No, love, but you _are_ jealous of the attention Matt is giving her."

She laughed. "That's ridiculous."

"What's ridiculous is that you care. Unless you still have feelings for the football player."

"We are _just _friends."

"And Tyler?" His face went taut. "Just friends with him too, right?"

She shook her head, growing annoyed. "Don't start."

"Why not?" Kol interrupted. He had somehow moved to the arm of the couch behind Klaus and was listening in on their conversation. "It was just getting juicy."

Caroline turned back to the game, ignoring both of them. As luck would have it, it was her turn. Kol returned to his seat, taking notice of something odd about the board as Caroline moved her game piece.

"How come there isn't a bedroom on this board?" he wondered aloud. "You've a Spa and a Guest House – an Observatory, for pity's sake! - but no bedroom?"

"Maybe bedrooms just aren't a likely place for murder," Caroline shrugged.

"I beg to differ, darling."

"You've killed someone in your bedroom!?"

He smirked. "Ah-ah. I never kiss and tell."

Caroline's eyebrows scrunched in bewilderment. "Yes you do!"

"Fine, then. I never _murder _and tell."

"No, you do that too," Klaus told him.

He threw his hands up in defeat. "What do you want me to say? I'm a very open vampire."

"Too open," Rebekah remarked.

"Not as open as your legs!" he retorted.

Matt choked on his drink, trying to hide his laughter in his glass. Rebekah zoomed in front of Kol, looming over him in a rage.

"You take that back, Kol!"

"Why?" he laughed. "It's the truth."

"It is not! You're just trying to embarrass me in front of Matt!"

"Sweetheart, you're embarrassing yourself," Klaus said.

"Just stop it, both of you!" She turned back to Matt with pleading eyes. "Matt, I am so sorry on behalf of these two _buffoons_ I'm forced to call my brothers."

"It's fine, Rebekah," he assured her. "Really."

Kol held his hand out. "See, Beks? Mattie Mustard doesn't even care that you're a whore."

"Damn it, Kol!" she fumed.

"Hey, come on," Matt frowned. "Don't call your sister names. Not cool."

"It's not a name, it's a fact," Kol stated. "Do you even want to know how many men she's been intimate with in her thousand years?"

"I don't really care. I like Rebekah for who she is, not who she's slept with."

Rebekah smiled, grateful for his kind words. He returned it with a genuine grin and a wink. Caroline caught it and sulked.

"Let's get back to the game," Klaus suggested, squeezing Caroline's shoulders in a comforting gesture.

"_Please_!" Elijah sighed.

* * *

A half hour had passed and the game was beginning to dwindle. The only one really, truly playing was Elijah. The excitement never left his eyes, and he didn't seem to care that no one was taking it seriously anymore. He had just reached the Kitchen and was deciding which character and weapon to choose.

"So Tyler actually came here for a game night?" Matt was asking Caroline.

"His first and only," she told him.

"It couldn't have been that bad."

"Oh but it was," Klaus disagreed.

"Kol compelled him to shift into his werewolf form," Caroline explained.

Matt's eyebrows shot up. "Are you serious?!"

"Okay, I'm going with Reverend Green, this time," Elijah announced.

"It was a _practical joke_," Kol reasoned dully, ignoring Elijah. "The real reason Tyler won't return is because my brother can't seem to keep his hands to himself in regards to Ms. Cock, here."

The realization dawned on Matt's face. "Yeah, that would pretty much do it. Ty's got a jealous streak in him."

Kol grinned, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "You know, though, Mattie Mustard, you have something Tyler Lockwood doesn't have."

"Oh, yeah?" Matt laughed, good-naturedly. "What's that?"

"The potential to befriend a dashingly handsome Original."

"I have no aspirations of befriending a human," Klaus piped up, playfully.

Kol shot him a dry look. "I was referring to _myself_."

"Sure, Kol," Matt nodded, humoring him. "I'll be friends with you."

Kol grinned, pleased with himself. "I like him Rebekah."

"Yes, your approval is exactly what I was going for," she responded sarcastically.

"I don't think anyone would want Kol's approval," Caroline commented. "Your stamp of approval is as good as Hitler's."

"You know, there's a lot of backstory to Hitler's actions that people don't know about," Klaus said.

"Please, Nik," Rebekah implored. "Spare us the history lesson."

"Okay. Reverend Green with the pistol in the Kitchen," Elijah finally decided on.

He glanced around waiting for someone to deem him wrong, but as the cards shuffled in their hands, no one could. He slumped in his seat, passing the dice on and studying his clue sheet. Matt and Caroline took their turns, not making it into any rooms.

"In any case," Rebekah continued the conversation, "Tyler isn't welcome here. One hybrid is more than enough."

"That's your opinion," Klaus refuted. "I happen to think the more is the merrier."

"Less is more," Rebekah said coolly.

Klaus smirked. "Are we exchanging witty repertoire now?"

"If you like," she beamed.

Rebekah was rolling the dice around her hands as she spoke. Elijah watched her, impatiently, foot tapping, sweat beading. He cleared his throat, trying to get her attention but failed. As Matt began to take part in the conversation, his attempts fell on deaf ears.

"You wouldn't want to be the only one of your kind," Klaus was saying, "So why should I be the only of mine?"

"Because your kind sucks," Kol spouted, toasting him with his drink. "Yes, that pun was _entirely _intended."

Matt snickered while Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Aren't you glad you attended?"

"Hey, I'm having fun," he said, sincerely. "But I think if anyone else besides you had invited me, I probably wouldn't have come."

Rebekah blushed at his confession. They smiled shyly at each other, Kol of course taking notice.

"Okay, he is just too good to be true!" Kol cried, teasingly. "You can't have him, Rebekah, I want him!"

"So much for not playing for the other team," Caroline taunted.

Kol's eyes went wide. "Hey, wait!"

"Will you just go, Miss Scarlet?!" Elijah finally erupted. He blinked, realizing his mistake. "I mean, Rebekah."

"Wow," Kol sat back. "You really _are _into it."

"Shut up, Kol."

"Why does everyone say that?"

After Rebekah took her turn, the rest followed suit. Matt made a rumor toward Klaus's character and checked his sheet off; Caroline made one against Kol and endured a short onslaught of Cock jokes until he finally proved her wrong.

"I've got it!" Elijah suddenly leapt up. "I would like to make an official accusation!"

"You have to get your piece to the pool first," Matt told him with a laugh.

Elijah's face fell completely, followed by his body as he sat back down. "Oh."

Klaus snickered. "It's just a game, Elijah."

"A game that I'm about to win," he said proudly.

After Rebekah's turn, Elijah's piece finally rested inside the Pool. He erected himself, proudly, and read off his sheet.

"The murderer is Reverend Green, in the Guest House with the pistol!" he declared. With a side-splitting grin, he grabbed the envelope to confirm his answer. As he pulled the three cards out, his face drained of color. The smile dissipated and he sat back down, slowly.

"You've won, then?" Klaus asked.

Elijah blinked. "No. I was wrong."

Kol doubled over in hysterical laughter. "Brilliant deductive skills, Lij! You had that one in the bag!"

Elijah glared at him, his anger bubbling over the surface. "Keep it up and I'll break your phone again."

"Hey! Don't go taking your anger out on Rod, you sore loser!"

The room was stunned into silence at the mention of the ominous 'Rod', which allegedly was referring to Kol's phone.

"Please tell me you haven't named that damn thing now," Rebekah groaned.

"Don't call him a thing, Rebekah. He has feelings!"

"It's a phone!"

"So! You're a tramp, do I hold that against you?"

"Nearly every chance you get!"

"I know. Isn't it fun?"

Her eyes narrowed into two contemptuous slits. "You want the phone, Elijah? I'll get you the phone."

Kol backed away from the table. "Oh, no you don't!" He zoomed behind Matt and grabbed him in a choke hold."You even try to touch my dear Rod and I'll snap your boyfriend's neck!"

"Not – her boyfriend – dude," Matt choked out.

"I thought he was your new friend? You're _not _going to kill him."

"Want to test that theory?"

He tightened his hold, making Matt's eyes bulge moreso than they already were. Rebekah stepped forward, halfway raising her hand toward Matt. The quarterback shimmied his neck, trying to find air to breathe in.

"Look, this is between you two," he managed to say in a raspy voice. "Don't put me in the middle."

"Too late, Mattie Mustard. You're in the middle."

"Come on, man. Can't we be bros about this?"

Kol laughed, snidely. "_Bros? _My hold must be too tight. Have you gone mad from lack of oxygen to that tiny brain of yours?"

Matt huffed, still having a difficult time breathing against Kol's grip. "I just...thought we were starting to become friends."

Kol blinked, shocked by the sincerity. Backing down, Kol released him. Matt quickly swiped the cell phone from his hand and dodged the following attack. Rebekah blocked Kol's way, acting as a shield for her human beau.

"TRAITOR!" Kol shouted.

Matt grinned spitefully as he handed the phone to Elijah. "Payback for not even apologizing to Elena for last week. And calling your sister a whore."

Kol's darkened eyes narrowed, his lips curling into a snarl. "You have no idea who you've messed with, jockstrap."

"What's the matter, Kol?" Rebekah sneered in mockery. "Ashamed of being one-upped by a human?"

"Oh you'll get yours, dear sister. Just you wait."

Klaus was rolling his eyes as he approached the center of the brawl. "Can we end the threat hurling now? We've a game to finish."

"Finish it yourself!" Kol snapped, ripping the phone out of Elijah's unguarded grasp and stomping all the way upstairs to his room. The door slammed violently, jerking the entire house. Now Klaus was glowering.

"I swear, if he breaks this house I will end him," he muttered.

Matt glanced around, rubbing his neck. "So who's turn is it?"


	11. Chapter 11: Of Chutes, Candy and Crowns

**consumedly - **:) Thank you. I dedicate a lot of effort to these chapters. I just want everyone to have as much fun as the characters and I do.

**AquaLover5711** – lol I'm not sure what the solution was. Probably the first time Elijah tried to make the rumor and no one could prove him wrong.

**SabbyDeeKnowles** – Care's still with Tyler, but likes Klaus. It's just a petty jealousy, the Matt thing. That whole girl thing where you liked a guy once and it's not nice to see him with another girl.

* * *

_Regarding RISK – That's a game I have NO IDEA how to play, but from what I've seen it's a lot of work. And as much fun as it would be to see the Originals take over the world, I really just can't do that one. Sorry, guys._

_Regarding SPIN THE BOTTLE – It's a funny idea, but the four are siblings so I don't think that would work out so well...incest is NOT best. lol_

_I'm starting to run out of ideas for these chapters. Ruh-roh! _

_I apologize profusely for the late update. I was struggling with the time constraint this week. It's a multi-game chapter, as well, so that also made it a very tedious and exhausting effort. Not my best work, I know. But alas, here is the chapter for this week. I hope you enjoy. =)_

_Are the chapters getting TOO long, or is it just me?_

* * *

Week 11

Another Friday night fell upon the Original household. The mansion was disturbingly quiet as the night lacked two of the major players. Rebekah and Kol were the only ones sitting in the Great Room, awaiting the start of Game Night. Elijah had been seen sporadically throughout the day, but Klaus was mysteriously M.I.A.

"Where's Nik?" Rebekah wondered aloud, glancing around the room for her missing brother.

"Haven't seen him all evening," Kol shrugged.

"Bit strange. Usually it's Elijah we can't find."

"_Him _I have seen. He was outside talking to Elena on the phone."

"Between his doppleganger obsession and Nik's infatuation with Caroline, I'm going to be forever nauseated."

"Says the one giddy after a quarterback," he cleverly pointed out.

Rebekah frowned, her cheeks heating up. "That doesn't nearly compare."

"You're right. It's worse," Kol sat up. "He's human. At least both our brothers are invested in supes."

"Elena barely counts as a supernatural being."

"The point remains. You are the lowest of them all."

She crossed her slumping arms, pouting. "Well it's better than being alone."

His face lit up with a grin. "I quite enjoy my solitude, actually. Gives me plenty of time to think of new ways to torture my siblings."

Rolling her eyes, Rebekah lifted herself from the couch and headed toward the doorway. Kol's smile faded.

"Where are you going?"

"To find Nik," she called over her shoulder.

Kol hopped up and followed her out into the foyer. Their search didn't last long. Klaus was actually hiding away in his study. He was slouched over his desk, head buried in unfinished sketches, mostly of Caroline. Two empty wine bottles rested near the edge and in his hand he was clutching an empty glass, stained crimson by a single drop at the bottom. Kol sauntered over and patted his brother on the back. Klaus' head snapped up almost instantly, startled by the sensation.

"Easy there," Kol raised his hand "What's gotten into _you_?"

Klaus sighed, miserably. "Am I fool, Kol?"

"Yes," Kol answered, without having to think about it.

Klaus' eyes narrowed in confusion as he gazed up at his baby brother. "You don't even know in what context I'm asking."

"Don't need to. Common knowledge."

He laughed off the insult, bitterly. "I think I'm being played, little brother."

Rebekah sank against the doorframe, folding her arms. "Is this about your little cheerleader obsession again?"

Klaus shot her a dirty look. "Do _not_ mock my pain, Rebekah."

Rebekah let out the laugh she was unable to repress. "Somebody's feeling dramatic."

Kol knocked the empty bottles with his knuckles. "He's drunk."

"So I've noticed."

"She's not answering any of my calls or texts," Klaus suddenly grumbled.

"Oh snap out of it!" Kol exclaimed. "You're turning into a woman, Nik!"

"I'm _worried _Kol," he insisted, not all too convincingly. "What if something's happened to her?"

"Perhaps Elena will be able to shed some light on her friend's whereabouts for you," Elijah suddenly appeared.

"She's coming?" Rebekah scoffed.

"I can't stop drawing her," Klaus mumbled, lowering his head again and swiping the sketches off his desk in his misery.

"Rebekah grab a blood bag," Kol directed. "We need to sober up this pansy before his puppy love consumes him entirely."

"Shut up, Kol," he said in a muffled groan.

"Why bother?" Rebekah droned. "I think it'd be entertaining to see him grovel drunkenly before his little blonde tart. Provided she actually shows up."

Kol stopped. "You may be onto something."

Elijah shook his head at both of them. "You two know he doesn't deserve that."

"He daggered us, Elijah," Kol reminded him, a sour tone to his voice.

Elijah contemplated it and, with a firm nod, agreed, "Leave him."

As the three of them began to pour out of the room, Klaus finally raised his head, bloodshot eyes shining at their backs. "Yeah, same to you all!" he called after them. "See if I don't dagger you _again_!"

Rebekah paused, turning back to him, a spiteful glare in her eyes. "Drink some more, Nik. You're on a roll."

In a furious rage, he grabbed one of the bottles and threw it toward her, missing Rebekah completely. It smashed against the frame, the olive stained glass shattering into bits.

"Miserable drunk," she remarked as the remaining siblings walked down the hall.

Kol smiled playfully at Elijah. "So the doppleganger's coming out to play?"

Elijah hesitated before nodding. "Yes."

"Brave of her," Rebekah commented.

They entered the Great Room, finding a seat as they waited for Elena (and their inebriated brother) to arrive.

"What are we playing?" Kol asked, toying with his phone on the couch.

"I'm not sure." Elijah slumped into an armchair. "She said she'd provide a few games. But I would like this to be a nice, laid back game night," he implored. "After everything that's happened, I don't need anything to cause more drama. Namely, Kol."

"Who's causing drama?" Kol shrugged. "I'm just trying to have a good time."

"Your idea of having a good time is making it so everyone else has a _bad _time."

"That's their choice. It's all a matter of perspective, really."

"It's a matter of _fact, _Kol."

"Oh all right. I'll behave. Mostly."

"I don't want her to feel uncomfortable. I'd like to be able to bring her around without fear of humiliating and/or alienating her. So for once, could you please just act...well, not normal, because normal for you is _not _normal. Just...be civil."

"When have I ever not been civil?" Elijah narrowed his eyes in a condescending manner. Kol sloughed lower in his seat. "All right, all right. Don't get your panties in a bunch. I will do my best not to embarrass you or your doppleganger."

"That's all I ask." The doorbell rang out. Elijah rose to answer it, eyeing his brother along the way. "Seriously, Kol."

Kol raised his hands defenselessly as his brother walked out. He and Rebekah listened to the echoing voices of Elena and Elijah, smirking at each other knowingly from opposite couches. As the voices drew nearer, Kol sat up, readying himself to greet their guest. She was ushered in, laughing at something Elijah had said.

"Elena, darling," Kol greeted. "Wonderful to see you with your clothes on."

Elena's smile instantly vanished, her eyes wide with embarrassment. Elijah squeezed his eyes shut, a low throaty snarl trickling out. Kol gasped, pressing his index finger to his lips in mock shame.

"R...ight," he remembered. "I was _not _supposed to humiliate her."

"I'm sorry, Elena," Elijah began to apologize. "If you would rather leave - "

"It's okay," she stopped him, drawing in a deep breath. "I can handle Kol."

Kol chuckled. "Highly doubtful, darling. But I admire your confidence."

"What's in the bag?" Rebekah asked, referring to the oversized shoulder bag hanging against Elena's side.

"I brought a few games," Elena explained. Suddenly her smile was back, and it was riddled with amusement. "I thought a Kiddie theme would be fun."

As all of the Originals began to contemplate what exactly she meant, she started pulling out one box after the other. Kol silently mouthed the names as she set each one down. There was "Chutes & Ladders", "CandyLand", and "Pretty Pretty Princess". When she finished, Elena glanced around the room to gauge their reactions. Rebekah's eyebrows were lowered as she tried to formulate an opinion, whereas Kol was all too happy to oblige. His eyebrows shot sky high, mouth twitching with an overeager grin. He glanced up at Elena, excitedly.

"Which one can we play first?!"

* * *

"What is _wrong_ with you, Kol?"

Elijah's voice thundered threateningly as he questioned his brother's earlier actions while Elena and Rebekah had momentarily left the room.

"Selective hearing?" Kol tried.

"Clearly, as you selected not to hear me."

"No, I heard you. I just opted not to _listen."_

"As usual."

"It's all in jest, Elijah. Besides, she _said _she could handle me. That's pretty much granting me free range."

"Don't even think about it, Kol."

"For you brother, I shall abstain. Just not wholeheartedly," he added with a wink.

Elijah sighed, defeatedly. "I suppose that's the best I'll get..."

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Rebekah busied herself at the wine rack, trying to decide which bottles to bring out. Elena was standing awkwardly at the island, clasping one of her elbows. She didn't really know what to say to the Original who had always hated her. The only reason she had agreed to help was because she saw the rage in Elijah's eyes and knew he'd want a word alone with his brother.

"Need any help?" she finally asked, impatient with standing by idly.

"Not from you," Rebekah answered drolly.

"Is there a reason you hate me so much?"

Before she could get an answer from Rebekah, another Original brushed past her. Klaus turned partially as he walked.

"Elena," he muttered in greeting.

She returned the sentiment: "Klaus."

She watched as he opened the fridge and took out a B-positive labeled blood bag, ripping the top open negligently causing blood to splatter on the granite.

"We just had this floor waxed," Rebekah whined.

"If you're so concerned, lick it up," he responded hotly.

He abruptly exited the room, leaving the two as they were. Grabbing two bottles, Rebekah rebelliously stepped over the puddle, purposely bumping shoulders with Elena as she walked out. They reentered the great room, taking their respective seats. Elijah had just finished setting up the game board. As she sat beside Kol on the couch, Rebekah picked up the cardboard top of the box by one corner, letting it dangle off her little finger.

"Ages 5 and up," she read off. "That's right up your alley, Kol."

"Oh goody!" he clapped, sarcastically. "And when we've finished, will you take me to the circus?"

"This isn't enough of one for you?" Klaus gestured to the room.

"There _are_ quite a few clowns," Elijah agreed.

"Elena'd actually make quite the acrobat," Kol smirked. "Come to think of it, Elijah's pretty flexible himself."

Elijah's eyes flicked to his in a warning. "Kol, you're playing with fire."

Kol hummed, sipping his wine. "So how do we play - " he plucked the box top off of Rebekah's finger and read it, " - Chutes & Ladders?"

"There are 100 squares on the board, and they're all numbered. If you land at the bottom of a ladder, you go up to where it stops. If you land at the top of a slide, you have to slide back down to the bottom of it. The object is to reach 100 first."

Kol was too busy looking at all of the pictures on the board to listen to Elena's explanation. At the base of one ladder was a girl planting a seed and at the top of the ladder, the flower had blossomed. At the head of a slide, a boy was reaching into the cookie jar. By the bottom, he had broken the jar and scraped his knee. Kol took it all in with a certain amusement.

"I particularly like how each ladder goes up to an accomplishment and each slide is caused by bad behavior," Kol grinned laughingly. "So human."

"Hmm," Elena stared at the board. "I guess I never noticed that."

"You wouldn't, would you?"

"Is that supposed to be insulting?"

"Not at all, love." He scooped up the dice. "So following suit, Nik, you'll go first."

"I'd rather sit this one out," Klaus brooded.

Sighing, Kol got up from his seat, his phone falling on the cushion, and approached Klaus. He grabbed his brother's hand and forced the dice into his palm, then closed his fingers around them.

"Throw the dice, play the game, forget about your woes."

Klaus angrily dropped the dice on the board, not intending to actually roll them. Kol picked up the piece with a skipping blonde boy on it and moved it the four spaces.

"Look at that," Kol cheered. "You're already winning with a ladder. You read a book and proceeded to graduate. How about that?"

"Give it up, Kol," Klaus begged with narrowed eyes.

"This tragic funk you're in is not becoming, brother," Kol told him, accidentally sitting back down on his cell phone.

He maneuvered to retrieve it and a small beep sounded, followed by a voice saying, _What can I help you with? _

Kol blinked, astounded. "Did my phone just speak!?" He pulled it from beneath his leg and stared bewildered at the tiny microphone picture that had popped up. "Guys, I'm fairly certain Rod may have a brain of his own."

"Who's Rod?" Elena asked him.

"Shhh," he urged. Cautiously, he pressed the microphone button and a sound came out. He raised an eyebrow. "What are you?"

**SIRI:** _I'm just a humble virtual assistant._

His eyes widened, petrified. "See? See!?"

"That's just Siri," Elena laughed.

"Siri?"

"It's like a personal assistant that takes voice commands."

"Hmm." He pressed the button again. "Hello, Siri."

**SIRI:** _Hello there._

Kol gasped in awe. "This is possibly the most brilliant thing I've encountered. Siri, tell me how handsome I am."

**SIRI:** _From now on I'll call you 'Handsome'. OK?_

"Oh, this I could get used to," he beamed. "Siri, tell Nik he's a turkey!"

**SIRI:** _Okay, I'll send your message._

In a matter of thirty seconds, Klaus' phone went off. Somewhat startled, he pulled it from his pocket and opened the text message. His eyes narrowed as he held up the screen to Kol. It read, "You are a turkey".

Kol's eyebrows raised. "That's actually quite convenient."

"And annoying," Klaus shook his head, putting his phone away again.

"Enough of this Siri thing," Elijah insisted. "Let's continue the game."

"Siri, we'll chat later," Kol assured his phone.

**SIRI:** _Nice talking with you..._

"Such a sophisticated piece of technology," Kol mused. "And so well mannered."

"Don't fall in love with your phone now," Klaus pleaded.

"As if his game obsession wasn't bad enough," Rebekah groaned.

He narrowed his eyes at them, accidentally pressing the button again. "Oh shut up."

**SIRI:** _That's not very nice._

"Oh, now you've gone and made me upset her," Kol frowned. "Well done."

Rebekah grabbed the phone from him. "Siri, from now on call me "Idiot."

**SIRI:** _From now on I'll call you 'Idiot'. OK?_

Kol grabbed the phone back, sneering at his sister. "Mature, Bek. Hey, Siri, do you love me?"

**SIRI:** _I'm not allowed to, Idiot._

"Well," he scoffed.

"The game?" Elijah reminded them. "It's your turn, Kol."

Kol rolled the dice and moved his 9 spaces, landing him at the base of a ladder. He playfully trudged his piece up the rungs and rested on #31.

"I like this game," he beamed, handing Rebekah the dice.

"Yes, it's just simple enough for your puny brain to comprehend," she taunted.

"Likewise," he shot back.

Elijah handed the dice to Elena and she landed on 8. He then took his turn and rolled 11. Cautiously, he held the dice out to Klaus. Klaus glanced up at him sardonically.

"What part of 'I'm not playing' do you people not understand?"

"If it'll make you feel better, I know Caroline's not avoiding you because of anything you did," Elena told him.

He sat up, perturbed. "She _is _avoiding me then?"

Elena closed her mouth, realizing the mistake she'd made. Quickly, Elijah threw the dice for Klaus.

"There, Klaus. You got 7."

"Another ladder," Kol grumbled after counting the spaces leading up to #42. "You're too good at this game, Nik."

Klaus laughed. "I know you're both trying to distract me."

"Distract you?" Kol lowered his eyebrows in mock confusion. "Distract you from what?"

"Just move your piece so we can continue," Elijah urged.

And he did. He emptied the rest of his blood bag and retreated to the kitchen leaving the rest to finish the game.

* * *

In about fifteen minutes, the game had concluded with Elijah as the winner. He'd luckily landed on the #80 spot which was a ladder leading directly up to the 100th square. Kol was pouting at the fact that he had landed on every slide on the board and that there was a Chutes and Ladders conspiracy. No one paid him any mind. Klaus had returned with another blood bag, but poured it into a wine glass this time. Seemingly, he was beginning to sober.

While Elijah and Elena put away the game to trade it for Candyland, Kol began to utilize his new phone friend to ease his disappointment.

"Siri, I'm bored."

**SIRI:** _I bore you, Idiot?_

Kol's eyes narrowed. "Right, that. Siri, please call me by my name: Master Handsome."

**SIRI:** _From now on I'll call you "By My Name: Master Handsome". OK?  
_

"No, no, no!" He shook the phone with a vengeance. "Siri, call me "Master Handsome"!"

**SIRI:** _From now on I'll call you "Master Handsome". OK?_

"Yes. Perfect." He toyed with the phone as he decided what to ask next. He glanced at Rebekah, having an idea. "Siri, find Matt Donovan on Facebook."

**SIRI:** _I've found 3 people with that name._

Kol browsed until he came across the football player's profile. He groaned with distaste. "Even in his profile picture he looks like a tool. How can you like this guy, Bekah?"

She looked up alarmed. "What are you doing, Kol?"

"Befriending your potential boyfriend on a social network."

"You can't do that!" she cried. She glanced worriedly at Elena. "Can he do that?"

"Well, well, well." Kol rubbed his chin. "Look at all of these pictures with Elena."

Rebekah sat forward, reaching for the phone. "Let me see."

"No touching!" he scolded, pulling away.

Elena, meanwhile, was shaking her head unimpressed. "We're friends, Kol."

"Kissing friends?" he held the screen up to show her.

Elena eased up. "Friends who used to date..."

"Apparently, he forgot to notify his Facebook of the separation," Kol noted.

"Wait, really?" Elena's eyebrows furrowed.

"He still thinks he's in a relationship with you!?" Rebekah exclaimed. "And to think, I was going to give him a chance."

Klaus perked up in his seat hearing all the commotion. "What exactly _is _Facebook? And does Caroline have one?"

Kol plucked a pillow from behind him and chucked it at Klaus. "Stop obsessing, Nik!"

Klaus shielded his face, letting his arm take the fluffy blow. "She won't answer me! It's infuriating!" He tossed the pillow back, accidentally hitting Rebekah.

Rebekah let out a small gasp. "I wouldn't answer you either if you kept pestering me!"

"...It was only four messages."

"Yeah, per hour," Kol snickered, getting hit with the pillow again by his sister. "Was that really necessary?"

"You started it."

Grunting, he picked the pillow up and threw it at Elijah this time, knocking the game pieces off the table in the process. Elijah looked up from the pillow in his lap.

"Who did that?"

All three – Klaus, Rebekah, and Kol – pointed to one another. Hearing Elena's laughter beside him, Elijah inconspicuously grasped the pillow and bumped her face lightly with it. Her laughter subsided and she stared at him with smiling shock.

"Elijah Mikaelson, did you just hit me with a pillow?"

He smiled, solemnly, his eyes alight with mischief. "Yes, Elena Gilbert, I believe I did."

"It's on, now."

She grabbed the pillow from her lap and the one that was behind her and tossed them both at him. He managed to dodge one, sending it flying over in Kol's direction. It knocked his phone out of his hands.

"Siri!" he cried out as the phone landed on the floor.

He scrambled after it, getting hit by pillows in the crossfire. The pillow fight that ensued sent the prospect of Candyland into the shadows...

* * *

By the time the fight had ended, Klaus' blood was knocked over, Kol had his phone back, Candyland was in shambles on the floor, and Pretty Pretty Princess was on the rise. Since it was only a four player game, Elijah had chosen to sit this one out and clean up the mess they'd made. Elena worked on setting up the new game, putting all four jewelry sets – blue, pink, green and purple – into the box in the center of the board. The lid to the jewelry box became the spinner.

"It's pretty easy. You win by getting a full set of jewelry and the crown," she told them. "Each spot you land on lets you take one piece. Earrings are one piece each."

"There are five rings," Rebekah noticed.

"The black ring is actually bad to have. If you're wearing it, you can't collect any jewelry you land on."

"Give Nik the black ring," Kol suggested. "It matches his heart."

"This is ridiculous," Klaus huffed. "It's simply dress-up in game form. There's no strategy."

"It's for little girls, Klaus," Rebekah explained. "It's not supposed to entail strategy."

"Oh come, Nik," Kol implored. "Don't you want to feel pretty?"

"No. I truly don't."

"Look. You've managed the avoid playing the first one," Elijah started, sternly, sitting back beside Elena. "The least you could do is partake in this one, as Elena went through the trouble to bring them."

He contemplated the remaining blood in his glass and finally gave in. In a matter of minutes, Kol had managed to score both green earrings, Rebekah the pink necklace, and Elena a blue bracelet. True to form, Klaus reluctantly played along. He had no issues putting the purple ring on his pinky finger – the only one it fit on – or the bracelet when he landed on it, but when it came time to take the matching necklace, there was a big fight.

"I took it from the box, I am _not _wearing it."

"Oh come on, Nik," Rebekah whine. "You have to. It's part of the game."

"I'm not putting on any more of this ridiculous, not to mention _cheap, _plastic jewelry. Isn't it enough that I'm playing?"

"What would Caroline say?" she retorted.

Klaus's already narrowed eyes turned dark. "What does it matter? She's not here."

"Just put on the necklace, Klaus," Elena urged. "Caroline is fine."

His face sobered. "Have you spoken to her? Has she told you why won't she talk to me?"

Elena pressed her lips together. "Girl code, Klaus. I can't tell you."

Grunting in defeat, he begrudgingly put the purple necklace around his neck. Kol picked up the spinner, flipping it to the mirrored side and began to admire his reflection – plastic jewelry and all. He had the crown on his head, currently, but still couldn't manage to land on the ring he needed. He turned to Rebekah, his green earrings dangling.

"Rebekah, tell me how beautiful I am."

"Oh Kol," she sighed with a smile. "You make the prettiest girl I've ever seen."

"Wait. Let me ask Siri."

"NO!" they all cried in unison.

Kol blinked in shock, slowly putting the spinner down. "Tell me how you really feel."

Elena flicked the spinner and moved four spaces. She landed on a ring and added a blue ring to her set.

"All you need now is the crown," Elijah cheered.

"I used to be pretty good at this game when I was little too," she beamed.

Klaus, in the meantime, was taking his turn. It just so happened he landed on a crown spot. The table was silent as they waited for him to react.

"I'm drawing a line," he stated.

"If you're going to play, at least play right," Rebekah scolded.

Kol lifted the crown from his head and held it daintily in his hands for Klaus' taking. Heaving an enormous sigh, Klaus ripped the crown from his brother's grasp and put it on his head. He glowered, crossing his arms.

"I despise this game."

"Bet you'd enjoy it if Caroline were here," Kol teased.

"It _is _her favorite childhood game," Elena informed him.

"Suitably," Klaus responded. "However, that doesn't make me like it any better."

While he wasn't looking, Kol had managed to swipe Klaus' phone from the table. He was looking for the camera function when Klaus noticed him.

"What are you doing?!"

"Maybe this'll get her attention," he taunted as he raised the phone.

"Don't you _dare_ do it, Kol," Klaus threatened.

"Say I'm a pretty princess," he smiled sweetly, pressing the screen.

It made a shutter sound just before Klaus lunged himself at Kol. Kol had just barely escaped the attack and made it behind Elijah and Elena. He quickly fumbled with the touchscreen before dodging another of Klaus' attempts. He had managed to grab Rebekah as a not-so-human shield when the phone sounded off with a text alert. Klaus stopped, eyes wide.

"Give me the phone, and no one gets hurt," Klaus demanded in a low, coarse voice, his hand held out before him.

Kol read the message, grinned and gently placed the phone back in Klaus' care. Klaus pulled back swiftly and pulled up the picture Kol had taken, rolling his eyes, then scanned the words of her response:

**CAROLINE said:**  
What the hell...

**9:45PM**

Klaus let out a determined hmmph sound and put the phone to his ear. "Now that I know she's with her phone..."

The silence of the room was broken by the sound of an automated voice coming from Klaus' phone. In a moment's time, his face melded with anger and he threw the phone across the room with a mighty force. It fell to the ground in pieces. Kol slowly lifted his own phone to his mouth, a small beep coming out of it.

"Siri, I'm scared."

**SIRI:** _Why?_

"Nik is mad."

**SIRI:** _OK. I'll call Caroline._

"Bwahahaha!" Kol doubled over with laughter. "Siri, you are top!"

**SIRI:** _You say that to all the virtual assistants.  
_

"She's a saucy one. I think I'm in love."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "I think you're mad."

"Jealous."

In a sudden fit of rage, Klaus zoomed around the table and pulled Elena's chair away from Elijah, startling everyone. He turned the chair so that she was facing him, his hands firmly gripping the wood seat beside her thighs.

"Tell me, Elena," he growled.

She frowned, her eyes pleading. "I promised, Klaus."

"Tell me what she's keeping from me or so help me I will drain you dry of every last drop of your doppleganger blood."

"Klaus, you're overreacting," Elijah calmly rose from his seat. "Elena has made a pact with her friend. You need to respect that."

"Don't tell me about respect, Elijah!" He kept his gaze focused on Elena. "Where – is – Caroline?"

"She's at home," she finally told him. "She wanted some time alone because she ended things with Tyler. She thought if you knew, you wouldn't let her take the time to grieve the way she needs to." Her eyes narrowed defiantly. "Happy?"

Klaus stood upright, not at all expecting that answer. His face was an odd contortion of emotions.

"Siri, take a picture of Nik's face."

**SIRI:** _Sorry Master Handsome, I can't take your pictures for you._

"Why?"

**SIRI:** _You see things, and you say 'Why?' But I dream things that never were, and I say 'Why not?'._

"Oh my god, I've died and gone to heaven. I love you, Siri!" Kol beckoned to his iPhone.

**SIRI:** _You hardly know me._

"But...I love you."

**SIRI:** _That's nice. Can we get back to work now?_

"Let me love you!"

**SIRI:** _All you need is love. And your iPhone._

Kol paused. "I suppose you're right. Well played, Siri."

**SIRI:** _I aim to please._

"Marry me, Siri?"

**SIRI:** _Let's just be friends, OK?_

The room "ooh"ed and "aah"ed in amused laughter. Kol grinned, abashed.

"Rejected by a phone," Rebekah taunted. "How does it feel, Kol?"

Holding his head high, Kol pressed the button to speak. "Siri, open 'Temple Run'."

"And there he goes," Klaus droned, sitting back on the couch.

A huge gasp escaped Kol. "WHO in the BLOODY HELL is ElderOne and HOW did he beat my scores?!"

Elijah cocked his head. "Millions of people play that game. Did you really think you'd hold the title forever?"

"Yes!" Kol snapped. "I work very hard to make _sure _that title is mine! Now some stupid elder person is trying to steal it? This simply won't do."

As he furiously started the game, Elijah was shaking his head. "Kol, do yourself a favor. Find a new hobby."

But Kol was unresponsive, swaying side to side with his phone as he played. Rebekah shrugged.

"it's official. We've lost him."


	12. Apology in Note Form

Hello my lovelies.

Yeah, this is exactly what it looks like. No chapter this week. Please don't hate me, but this week has been terrible for me. I've been so horribly sick. I had to leave work early twice - once not even by my own will. I finally got to the doctor today and she drew blood to test me for Mono and EBV. Serious stuff, right? Well, I'm bed ridden until Monday so while it does give me time to get writing done, my cloudy state of mind prevents me from making any sense. I'm shocked I'm even getting this note written coherently. I will try to work on a chapter while my mind ISN'T clouded. But I can't promise anything in this state.

In the meantime, someone asked for a list of games that were already done. They are as follows:

**Monopoly**  
**Poker**  
**Scrabble**  
**Truth or Dare**  
**Pictionary**  
**Trivial Pursuit**  
**Twister**  
**Never Have I Ever**  
**Clue Mystery**  
**Chutes & Ladders**  
**Pretty Pretty Princess**  
(**Candyland** kinda got lost. I just didn't know what to do with that. Sorry...)

I've addressed the ideas of Spin the Bottle and Risk in the last chapter, and won't be doing those two. I do still want to try Jenga, Operation and maybe a few other team games like Charades and Taboo. But feel free to keep sending ideas over. I'm running out as it is, and the story's starting to take a bit of a toll. I'm torn because I love you all and I know how much you enjoy it and it makes me happy to see all your laughter. But at the same time, the once a week thing is getting hard to keep up with with school and work. Maybe we can compromise and it'll be bi-weekly? Would that be too bad? I don't know. I'm sick rambling now.

I love you guys all, and again, I apologize that there is no chapter right now. If I can get one up over the weekend, I will. Otherwise, next Friday.

xoxoxox

-Dee


	13. Chapter 13: Jenga

_You guys are all the greatest readers a writer could ask for. Thank you all so much for the well wishes. It means a lot. And thank you for understanding! Seriously, I love you all to death._

_Wow, tons of game suggestions. Let's see...  
-Hmm. I'll consider the Battleship playoff. Have to ponder that a bit.  
-I do want to do a strip game at some point, rest assured. _

_-Uno, I do want to attempt. No promises though.  
-Battle of the Sexes? I will have to look that one up. What is that? _

_-Re: Trouble/Sorry: I keep getting this suggestion but as I've said, not sure what to do with it._

_If you have ideas, by all means PM them. I'm all ears._

_****Please Be Advised****  
I think I am going to go ahead and amend the update time to a biweekly update. (Every other Friday night, as opposed to every Friday night.) I hate to disappoint you guys but I really need to. I feel like forcing myself to squeeze a chapter out every single week is not only taking a toll on me and my life, but it's a rip off for you guys as readers too. The quality of the chapter lessens, as I'm sure you've noticed. It's better when I have the time to enjoy writing as much as you enjoy reading. I just feel horrible when I keep you guys waiting so long. I know there are a few who are begging every week if the chapter isn't posted. And I LOVE you for that. It really makes me feel so super appreciated. So I hope you can all find it in your heart to understand and not hate me for making you wait an extra week. _

_Well, I am sorry this isn't on time. But then, I never am. I really thoroughly enjoyed this chapter, though. :)_

* * *

Week 12

The youngest Mikaelson brother sat in solitary bliss in a brown leather armchair that resided in the Great Room of the Original mansion. His legs dangling over one arm of the chair, and head hanging over the other, he held his phone high above his face, twisting side to side as he navigated his way through the dastardly animated temple on the screen of his phone. Just as he was about to make the final hurdle, the phone was plucked from his hand and he was faced with the monstrous blue eyed monster, her blonde mane brushing his cheeks as she towered over him.

"Stop telling your phone to call me a prostitute or I will knock your teeth out, Kol Mikaelson!" Rebekah threatened, throwing the phone into his groin with force.

He grunted from the fleeting pang and sat up, grasping his phone protectively. "How can I tell Siri to stop speaking the truth? That's what she was made for."

Scoffing in disgust, Rebekah seated herself on the couch diagonal from him. Just then, another type of blonde monster waltzed in, his eyes more arctic than his sister's. He held up his cell phone with a clenched jaw.

"Is this your idea of entertainment, Kol? Constantly texting me that I am a "fickle pickle", a "pompous pansy" and – my personal favorite – "the most impotent hybrid that man may ever know"?"

Kol smirked, lowering his bottom lip in amusement. "Siri thought it was funny."

"_Siri _is an inanimate object," Klaus seethed. "When are you going to grow up and get over these petty little delusions?"

And, completing the line up, Elijah entered the room, cell phone in hand. His face was more weary with impatience than enraged. With a sigh, he raised tired eyes to his baby brother.

"How many times do I have to ask you to stop calling me "Daddy Lijah", Kol?"

Kol hung his head in laughter at the sight of all three of his siblings' annoyance. He sighed happily, raising his phone to his lips and pressing the infamous button.

"Siri," he told it. "Message Bekah, Nik and Elijah that they are all overreacting."

**SIRI: **_Okay. Here is your message._

Pleased with himself, he pressed the SEND button and waited with innocently raised eyebrows. Within ten seconds all three phones went off with clashing melodies.

"Enough, Kol!" Rebekah groaned exasperatedly. "You've been at it since last week!"

"Don't you have anyone else to torture?" Klaus agreed, slumping into the couch opposite Rebekah.

Kol frowned then, his eyes pooling with sadness. "Well, I don't have any friends of my own. You three are all I've got." He glanced up at them, relishing their guilt ridden faces. Unable to resist, he cracked a smile. "Besides. Your reactions are invaluable."

Rebekah swiped the throw pillow from beside her and tossed it in Kol's direction. Elijah sped forward and caught it before it landed. He tilted his head, reprimanding her with a glare.

"Don't start that up again, Rebekah."

"Then tell him to quit it," she argued. "He's driving me mad!"

"He's driving us _all _mad," Klaus chimed in. His eyes narrowed with conspiracy. "I say we take the phone away from him."

Kol's eyes widened and he clutched the phone to his chest. "Leave poor Siri out of this! She's an innocent victim!"

Klaus rose from his seat, a malicious smile plastered to his face. Rebekah rose too, eager to pounce. Kol scrambled up against the back of the chair, his lips curling in a snarl.

"Will the three of you please restrain yourselves?" Elijah pleaded, squeezing his frustration into the pillow. "Perhaps you've forgotten, but it _is _Family Game Night. What with every week consistently being a disaster, the last thing we need right now is a room filled with tension to start the night off." The doorbell sounded, and all four Originals tensed. Elijah glanced over his shoulder at the door. "That'll be Elena."

Rebekah let out an exasperated sigh, falling back into her seat. "Why do you _always _have to invite her?"

"You don't complain about Caroline's attendance as often," he remarked, handing the pillow back to her. "What do you have against Elena?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "For one thing, she's the bloody doppleganger. Be original in your choice of romantic interests, for once, Elijah."

"I see what you did there," Kol grinned, wagging his index finger at her. She scowled at him.

"Well put aside your hatred, Rebekah," Elijah called as he walked out. "She's not going anywhere."

"Ooh," Kol taunted with a smile. "Sounds like fighting words."

"Believe me. My hatred for Elena Gilbert is far from over."

"And you, Nik?" Kol nodded toward his brother. "How do you plan to woo your lady tonight?"

Klaus pushed himself forward to the edge of the couch and tilted his head, thoughtfully. The body language read harmless, but the look on his face was pure darkness.

"Let's just say after the last game night, I won't be making things quite so easy for her."

Rebekah leaned over the arm of the couch toward Kol, still glancing at Klaus. "Bet you he'll be putty in her hands within ten minutes," she muttered with a smirk.

"You're on," Kol accepted.

* * *

Fifteen minutes into the party, Elena and Elijah had begun setting up the game she and her friends had brought – _Jenga_. While they built the tower, the remaining Originals and guests lounged, armed with wine and Bourbon. Matt and Jeremy, who Elena begged to come along for moral support in the face of Kol, both sat with Rebekah on the couch. Kol remained as he was, clinging to his armchair. Caroline was seated awkwardly with Klaus on the opposite couch. She sat with her legs crossed, hands folded neatly in her lap, stiff as a cardboard box. Klaus, on the other hand, was completely at ease, body sunken into the couch. He paid her no mind, not even offering more than a nod in greeting. He relaxed, taking pleasure in the anger blaring in her eyes at his complete disregard of her. Perfect.

"A little birdie told me you're still Facebook dating Elena," Rebekah instigated conversation with Matt. "Care to explain?"

His ears turned pink, and he rubbed the back of his neck trying to play off his embarrassment as confusion. "Really? I haven't been on Facebook in forever."

"Your status was updated two days ago," Kol begged to differ, squinting at his phone. "Matt Donovan is about to take on this epic sandwich." He held it up, Matt's Facebook page on display. "See?"

"Busted," Jeremy laughed. "Why haven't you changed it anyway? You and Elena haven't dated in over a year."

"Puts a damper on things," Rebekah glared. "That's for sure."

"Come on, Rebekah," Matt attempted to reconcile. "I just forgot, that's all. It means nothing. Don't be mad."

"If you think that pathetic excuse for an apology is going to work, you're mistaken. It's going to take more than groveling for you to redeem yourself."

"So are you two like a thing now?" Jeremy asked with a wry smile. "Am I the only one here who isn't part of this Original dating club?"

"No," Klaus and Caroline simultaneously answered.

They glanced at each other in surprise as the conversation tapered off. Rebekah and Kol leaned forth in their seats, anticipating a break in Klaus' cold-shoulder treatment. His eyes flicked to them briefly, and he let his face become neutral again.

"Trouble in paradise?" Matt smirked.

"Matt," Elena softy warned. When he looked over at her, she shook her head. He blinked in realization and quickly was abashed. "Sorry, Care."

She smiled, weakly. "It's okay, Matt."

"All right!" Elena cheerfully announced. "The Jenga tower is ready to go!"

As the group rose collectively to make their way to the table, Klaus had his moment of weakness and grabbed Caroline's elbow, holding her back.

"Are you all right?" He asked. She raised a concerned eyebrow. "I heard about your recent separation."

She scoffed, shaking her head at his audacity. "Seriously, I _don't _want to talk about it," she told him, ripping her arm from his grasp. "And I definitely don't want to talk about it with _you_."

He stared daggers into her back as she stalked away from him to take her seat at the game table. As luck would have it, the only seat left was beside her so he sat down with reluctance.

Kol was on Caroline's right. He had rested his elbows on his knees and cupped his chin in his hands putting forth his most innocent expression.

"So where is your little friend?" he directed the question at Elena. "The witchy one?"

"_Bonnie _has refused to come," Caroline informed him. "I would too if some drunk guy told me my mouth was crooked."

Kol's eyebrows shot up. "Did I say that? Well. Blame the alcohol."

"Blame the _Kol_," Rebekah corrected him with a snooty scowl.

Kol rolled his eyes, ignoring his sister. "Please extend my apologies to Miss Bennett."

"Why do you even care?"

"Perhaps he fancies her," Klaus grinned with a gallic shrug.

Kol burst into sudden laughter. "Are you off your rocks, Nik? Me fancy a human? And a witch no less?"

"You've_ never _extended an apology, Kol," Elijah pointed out. "Even to me."

Kol waved his hand dismissively. "That's because you're _Elijah._"

"And me?" Elena chimed in, hopeful.

He blinked in surprise then waved his hand again. "You're _Elena._ I don't have to extend apologies to my nearest and dearest."

"Nearest and dearest," Jeremy snorted.

"Well when you've seen as much of your sister as I have - "

"Enough Kol," Elijah stopped him, catching Elena beginning to flush. "We had an agreement."

"Fine, fine. Let's begin, then, shall we?"

Caroline finally began to perk up, brushing off Klaus's cold shoulder as she explained the way the game worked. It was simple – each player took turns sliding one block out from the tower and placing it on top, doing their best to avoid knocking the tower over. If the tower fell on your turn, you lost.

Rebekah's eyes narrowed in boredom. "It's blocks for adults."

"Who's first?" Kol clapped his hands together. "Nik?"

"_I'll _go first," Caroline declared, spitefully, shooting Klaus a dirty look. "We can go around the table, with you going next Kol."

"Making me last," Klaus did the math.

Caroline turned toward him with a sweet smile. "Is that a problem?"

"Just take your turn, love," he urged. Then with a bitter edge to his voice, added, "Don't keep us all waiting on you."

Caroline scoffed at his double entendre, keeping her rolling eyes directed at the Jenga tower. She easily slipped one out and placed it on the top. Kol followed suit next, taking the center block from the last row, eager to make it difficult quickly. The game continued around the table with Elijah, Elena, Jeremy, Matt, Rebekah, then _finally _Klaus. It seemed to be going well. That is, until Kol's second turn. He hummed happily as he tugged the left piece from the bottom row and just as he went to place it on top, the tower wobbled and crumbled to pieces.

"Oh." Kol stared at the fallen slabs. "Was that my fault?"

Caroline brought a palm to half her face. "From the bottom, Kol? Seriously?"

"What? I'm free to choose any block I like, aren't I?"

"Typically, you'd try to go for the easiest ones," Elena explained. "The point is to keep the tower standing. It's about leverage."

"Aha. Now I get it. Thank you Miss Gilbert," he said mockingly.

Elena's eyes rolled but she smiled. "You're welcome Kol."

"Miss Gilbert," Kol raised his hand. He pursed his lips, restraining the amused smile that was tugging at the corners of his mouth. "If I behave, will I get to stay after class with you like Elijah did?"

"Okay, dude, not cool," Jeremy shook his head. "She's my sister."

"But it's okay for Elijah to sleep with her?" Rebekah retorted.

Jeremy's eyes blinked in repulsion. "No, that's not what – Just forget it. I don't want to talk about my sister having sex, okay?"

"She's been with two people at this table. Kind of unavoidable," Matt grinned.

"Matt!" Elena scowled.

"What?" he shrugged. "I'm just saying. Two for five ain't bad."

"Okay, seriously, can we stop talking about Elena and sex?" Jeremy begged. "Really bad mental images."

She buried her face in her hands. "That is not something I want to think about."

"It's something _I _want to think about," Kol teased, bringing his half filled glass of Bourbon to his lips for a swig.

Jeremy's head turned sharply toward the Original. "Dude, I'm giving you one warning."

Kol patted the air with his free hand, trying to calm everyone. "Have no fear, little Gilbert. My heart belongs to another, blonder guest." Caroline let out a loud sound of disgust. Kol pouted his bottom lip in amusement. "Well I won't name names."

Just as Rebekah and Klaus had finished rebuilding the tower, Kol set his empty tumbler back down with an entirely too intentional nudge against the blocks. Again, the tower was in shambles.

"Oops! Sorry," he apologized. "Didn't mean that, _I swear."_

"Like hell you didn't," Rebekah glared. "Do it again and you'll regret ever having been born."

"Well since you're busy," he raised his glass, "anyone for seconds?"

Matt raised a finger. "Lemme come with you. I could use a drink."

Kol watched the blue-eyed blonde with appeal as he rounded the table. "More the merrier," he grinned deviously.

* * *

By the time Matt and Kol returned from the kitchen, the game had started up again without them, leaving Kol for last now. Luckily, they were just in time for Matt to take his turn. When the rotation reached Kol, the tower was still balanced, but only just. Of course, Kol took it to his advantage.

"I don't know what's the matter with me," he grinned bashfully at the pile of wooden bricks. "So sorry."

"Oh come on, Kol. Can't you just keep it up?" Caroline begged, oblivious to her poor word choice.

Kol looked up wearing face-splitting grin. "Oh I could keep it up, darling. If that's what you like."

Caroline shuddered, grimacing. "Ew!"

"Gotta hand it to you," Jeremy laughed. "That was epic timing."

"Up top man," Matt grinned, holding his palm in the air across the table.

Kol looked up at it cautiously, slowly raising a tentative hand to meet with Matt's. They clapped together and both guys lowered their arms. Matt was all smiles. As reconstruction of the tower began once more, Rebekah decided to try to relight the spark between her and Matt.

"So Matt," she glanced at him form beneath long blonde lashes. "Have you ever been to that little Italian restaurant down the street of the Grill?"

"Nope," he answered distractedly.

"Hmm. Neither have I," she grinned impishly. "Perhaps you and I could go there some time."

"I don't think so," he brushed her off.

Her head jerked at his tone. "Any particular reason why?"

He glanced at Kol, cautiously. "I don't...really like Italian food."

"Well, a different restaurant then," she offered. "What's your pleasure?"

"Look, Rebekah. I _don't _want to go out with you. Okay?"

She pouted in frustration. "Why not?"

"I'd really just like to play the game."

Rebekah frowned and sat sulking as the game continued with his turn. Bored with the game play, Kol whistled a soft tune as he crossed his legs beneath the table, giving the leg a swift nudge. The tower of Jenga blocks instantly went tumbling. All eyes angrily directed toward him.

"That was me again, wasn't it?" he smirked.

"I'm beginning to think you're doing it on purpose," Klaus grumbled.

"I was just getting comfortable!"

Elena and Elijah sighed and pieced together the tower again. They went around the table starting the game up again. As Caroline scanned the tower of blocks in contemplation, Kol seized the opportunity to creep his hand over her thigh. Her face reddened instantly and she shot a glance of warning toward Klaus. He stared dubiously, unaware of what he'd done wrong. Encouraged, Kol let his hand slide higher beneath her skirt until he felt the silky fabric of her panties on her hip. Caroline jumped up, gasping, causing the table to shift a few inches over and send the tower toppling. Kol was frozen leaning over, his hands in the air defenselessly.

"Kol you creep!" she shrieked, proceeding to slap him with her all her might.

The force of her palm sent the chair up, leaning back only on its hind legs. Kol's weight made the chair fall backward to the floor, his head following with a loud thud. Klaus rose and glared across the table to the floor where his brother lay.

"Touch her again and I will rip out your heart with no remorse," his coarse voice threatened.

"Oh, now you suddenly care?" Caroline's eyes were two enormous pools of blue.

Klaus squeezed his eyes shut, clenching his jaw. "Far be it from me to protect your virtue."

"Yes, far be it. I can protect my virtue myself, thank you."

His eyebrows skyrocketed, nostrils flaring. Rising abruptly, he planted his hands against the table. "I'm getting another drink. If anyone wants more, get it yourself."

Caroline watched him disappear and in a moment's time, got up to go after him. Resting his cheek against his fist, Kol glanced around the table discreetly at the oblivious players as he tapped one of the lower blocks, forcing the off-balance tower to collapse yet again. The tumbling alerted them all.

"Kol!" they all shouted, nearly in unison.

"Okay," he gave a slight nod. "That time was on purpose."

* * *

"What is your deal?" Caroline was asking with her arms folded as she appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.

Klaus poked his head up over the refrigerator door. "Deal?"

"You've been giving me the brush-off all night. What did I do?"

He closed the door to the fridge with a slam, blood bag in hand. "I've been giving _you _the brush off? The one time I tried to console you you spat in my face."

"What? That's so gross, I would never - "

"Figure of speech, love," he rolled his eyes, bringing the bag to his lips.

"So because I don't want to talk about my break up that makes me a bitch? Cool, Klaus."

Caroline turned to leave but Klaus blurred across the room to block her way out. His eyes cooled.

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's your prerogative. But leaving me in the dark last week merits an apology."

Her eyebrows disappeared beneath her bangs in shock and she let out a small laugh. "That's what you're mad about?" His mouth twitched and he glanced away briefly. "Big bad Klaus is upset that I didn't call him back."

"That's not - "

"I don't have to tell you everything, you know. You need to respect my need for privacy, okay?"

Feeling utterly dejected and foolish, Klaus engulfed himself in the cool rush of anger. His eyes narrowed at the baby vamp.

"Take all the privacy you need, Caroline. You're on your own."

He sped out of the room, leaving her gaping after him furiously. In a few minutes, she walked briskly back to the game, taking her seat beside the hot-headed hybrid and his mischievous brother. The Jenga tower sat idly in the center of the table, waiting, but a conversation had taken precedence.

"Dude, don't you remember?" Jeremy was saying. "You said we were _never _friends."

"I said that?" He shook his head and scoffed. "You're mistaken. We're buds!"

Jeremy's eyes narrowed. "You used me to get to my sister."

"Actually, that would be Elijah," Kol pointed out. "Under Nik's orders, I never laid a hand on the doppleganger."

"No, but you sure enjoyed beating Damon to a pulp," Elena jumped in.

"Hey, he had it coming."

The majority of the table murmured in agreement, nodding their heads. Kol crossed his arms over his chest with a proposition.

"So what do you say to starting fresh, Jer?"

"Dude, don't call me that. That's a little too homo for me, okay?"

"Hey," Caroline frowned. "Don't knock the gay community, okay? They're people just like you and me."

'What're you their mascot?" Jeremy teased with a laugh. "No wonder you and Elena always locked yourselves in her room every weekend."

"Ugh," Elena scoffed. "Jeremy, grow up."

With a lull in conversation, Rebekah tried one last time to win Matt over.

"What do you say we leave this boring game and you and I attempt to make amends?" she flashed him a flirtatious grin.

"Rebekah, just stop trying!" Matt finally shouted, exasperatedly. "I'm _gay_!"

Caroline's head snapped up. "What!?"

"What!?" Elena echoed.

"WHAT!?" Rebekah finally completed the shockwave.

Klaus cocked his head to the right. "That explains a lot."

"Dude..." Jeremy just shook his head.

"Yeah," Matt nodded. "I like...dudes."

Elijah tossed his hands in the air. "Okay, I give up." He rose from his seat, tossing the Jenga block he'd just loosened at the table, sending the tower toppling as he resorted himself to the couch.

Kol raised an index finger. "I would just like to point out, that _that time_ it was _not _me."

Rebekah's jaw continuously hung open as she gaped at Matt. "You're joking."

"Matt, you dated both me and Elena. You're _not_ gay," Caroline told him assertively. But then her eyebrows lowered in confusion. "Are you?"

Elena turned to Kol. "What did you do to him?"

He raised his eyebrows innocently, putting a hand to his chest. "What could I have possibly done?"

"Kol, you fix him," Rebekah demanded. "Now!"

"You can't fix a homosexual, Rebekah," Kol tsked. "It's in their DNA."

"You compelled him, you arse! Now reverse it or I'll rip out your heart with my bare hands!"

"Hey come on," Matt intervened. "Kol's a good guy. Don't get mad at him."

"Ooohh," Rebekah shuddered. "When I get my hands on you Kol Mikaelson - "

"Ah how sweet is the taste of revenge," Kol smirked.

"Nik, do something!" Rebekah pleaded.

"What do you want me to do?" he shrugged. "I can't fix it."

"Where are your daggers?"

"Low blow, Rebekah," Kol glowered. "Stooping to Nik's level."

"Don't go there, Kol," Klaus warned.

"Why not? May as well get everyone in on it. You all want to hate me? Fine. I'll be the bad guy."

"Hey come on," Jeremy intervened. "No one's trying to make you the bad guy, all right?"

"Stay out of it, Jer," Elena warned him. "He's bad news."

"Lovely. Thank you for that, Elena." Kol nodded up at Elijah. "See that? She approves of me just as much as I of her."

"I never did _anything _to you, Kol," Elena scowled. "The only reason I can't stand you is because of the way you treat your family. Maybe if you had a little respect or decency - "

"Save your little speech, darling. You're wasting your time."

Caroline shook her head, leaning forth. "Why do you try so hard to make everyone hate you?"

"You hate me now too? Wonderful."

"I don't hate you, Kol. But you sure make it hard to like you."

"If you're all done, I'm going up to my room."

"Just like you to hide like a baby," Rebekah called after him.

He turned swiftly around, eyes blaring with anger. "You know, Rebekah, I may be immature at times but at least I have fun. I don't sit around here pining after men who don't want me and run after them witlessly obsessed with making someone love me who clearly has no interest. And you, Nik? You're no better. I never thought I'd say this, but of the three of you I happen to like Elijah best. Even if he is in love with the doppleganger – _again_ – at least he's got standards and hasn't reduced himself to a pitiful wretch as you two have."

"That was entirely uncalled for."

"And completely untrue."

Elijah stood, shocked at his brother's confession. "Did he just say he liked me best?"


	14. Chapter 14: Charades

**Lily94** – "Dirty Minds". Looked into it. So going to have to buy it because holy crap that concept is just too great to pass up with Kol around! Thank you!

**xXFallingSlowlyXx**- Haha! The funny thing is, when I was writing "Jenga" and Kol knocking the tower over, I laughed because he's so like me in that sense. I enjoy bugging the hell out of people by being silly. I guess I have my own inner Kol. :P

**MarsterRoo** - Still thinking about "Life". I've been toying with that for a while. Not sure if I want to go down that route with vampires! *laughs*

_D'awwww. I love that you guys are so anxious for more! It's endearing and makes me wish I could just keep writing this forever just for you all. I'll have you all know there were SEVERAL moments in this story that I got so frustrated with time and just wanted to quit and be done with it. But it's because of all of you that I haven't. I can't bring myself to walk away when you guys are so sweet and beg me to never stop. It really truly warms my heart to hear it, and I'm not just being cheesy either. *group hug* Love you guys._

* * *

_Damn. This 2 Week thing is taking a toll on all of us, huh? I was sad last week that I didn't have anything to post. Guess I got used to everyone's laughter. ;)_  
_I think if I get any chance to, I'll definitely give earlier updates. But the two week thing, sadly, has to stick. I stress myself out too much otherwise. _

_Ok, I have to give my little brother some credit this chapter. He helped me with quite a few ideas. Should've seen how we were cracking up thinking of things. He's my biggest fan. :3 Hopefully, you guys enjoy and I can tell him he has fans too! :P Also, I'm really not a Konnie fan at all. I don't know how this happened._

* * *

Week 13

The following Friday evening, Elijah stood in the doorway of Kol's room watching his brother's head tilt side to side as he made incoherent noises of frustration at his phone.

"How you doing up here, Kol?" he finally asked.

"Stupid monkeys," Kol muttered, ignoring Elijah's attempt. "Why would monkeys even _be_ in a temple?"

Sighing, Elijah walked all the way into the room and sat on the bed. The bouncy movement made Kol look up. His face was not a happy one.

"Nice of you to knock."

"I _did _ask you how you were doing."

"Fine," Kol answered, eyes glued back to his phone.

Elijah shook his head. "Don't you tire of that game?"

"You know, every other day this bloody 'ElderOne' person keeps beating my scores. I can't fathom how he's doing it but I'm making certain I give him a run for his money."

"You really have too much time on your hands."

"Understatement."

"Are you going to join us for game night tonight?"

"Why?" Kol gloomily responded. "Nobody wants me there."

"We _all _want you there, Kol. We just don't want your troublesome intentions there."

"Part of the package," he responded distractedly. "All of me or none of me."

After a few moments of silence, Elijah finally cocked a thoughtful eyebrow at the Temple Runner.

"You really like me the most of all of our siblings?"

Kol cringed and finally set his phone down beside him. He straightened up against the pillows he was leaning against, facing Elijah with a delicate look. "Well...you know," he began, "Some things are just...said in the heat of the moment."

Elijah nodded in disappointment. "I see."

"Nothing personal. I don't have a favorite, if you really want to know." He tapped his chin repeatedly with three fingers. "But Nik is the most fun."

"You don't think _I _could be fun?"

"No offense, Elijah," he laughed, "but you and the word 'fun' do not belong in the same sentence."

Elijah smirked conspiratorially. "Well how's _this_ for fun: Tonight, we bring Family Game Night to the Salvatore's."

Kol perked up, a smile slowly forming. "Go on."

"Well, I just assume my presence is enough to drive them mad as Elena _is_ technically dating me. Sort of. Not to mention Damon hates you."

Kol nodded as he pondered the idea. His eyes flicked to Elijah's with a wicked grin. "I'm in."

* * *

"I don't understand why we're even here," Klaus argued as he and his siblings slowly made their way up the driveway of the Salvatore household. "They're a pair of whiny idiots."

"Which makes it all the easier to torment them with my presence," Elijah explained. "Damon's a jealous time bomb waiting to go off. And Stefan, well he's slightly more alarm clock than bomb."

"I don't care," Klaus groaned, stopping in the middle of the walkway. "I'm turning back and going home. I want no part in this ridiculous scheme."

"Hey. Do you hear that?" Kol suddenly cocked his head. "I could swear - "

"Nik's right, you know," Rebekah chimed in. "It's a little juvenile of you anyway, Elijah. Since when do you need to prove anything? Especially to the Salvatores?"

"Guys, quiet," Kol tried again.

"We're doing this to have _fun_," Elijah corrected them both.

Klaus shook his head, glaring. "No. You're doing this so that Kol would get out of his room for the first time this week. You and your guilty conscience - "

"Niklaus," Elijah warned.

"Just because he said he liked you best last week doesn't mean it holds true _this week_," Rebekah pointed out. "He's as wishy washy as a a Magic 8 Ball."

"YOU GUYS!"

Klaus turned around. "_What _Kol!?"

"Just shut up and just listen!" Kol urged, pointing toward the open window on the second level.

They tuned into their vampire-enhanced senses picking up in the distance, two clear voices – one light, sweet and reassuring, the other brooding and deep...

...

_"I don't know what happened, Caroline," Stefan sighed. "One minute we're happy and the next she's with Elijah? It makes no sense."_

_"Stefan, you have to let her go and move on. You're going to kill yourself this way. Or worse."_

_"Worse?" he laughed. "What could be worse than losing the love of your life? Twice?"_

_"Oh, I don't know. Why don't you go Ripper a few girls and find out..."_

_..._

Kol glanced at Klaus, smirking. "_Now _will you stop complaining?"

Klaus pursed his lips. "They'd better have good Bourbon."

"Pushover," Rebekah rolled her eyes.

Smiling with glee, Kol sped over to the door, his siblings fanning out behind him. After three swift knocks, the door opened. Damon was there with his smug trademark smirk and half-lidded eyes.

"Oh look. The circus is back in town."

"We're still auditioning clowns," Rebekah smiled sweetly. "Interested?"

"What do you want?"

"It's game night, mate," Klaus grinned. "Aren't you going to invite us in?"

"Uh, no."

"Ah well. At least we asked," Kol slipped past him, patting his cheek.

As they all piled in, Stefan and Caroline were just walking out. Surprisingly, Bonnie was behind them. Caroline's eyes widened and Klaus' grin grew even wider.

"Well if it isn't the little witch herself."

"What are you guys doing here?" Caroline implored.

"It's game night, love. Surely you'd remember that."

"But, here?"

"Same party, different location," Kol shrugged. "Will you and your friend be partaking?"

"No," Bonnie was shaking her head. "No way. I'm out of here."

But Caroline grabbed her friend's arm. "Bonnie, wait." She laughed nervously in the face of Bonnie's glare. "I mean, it's not like we have anything else planned for tonight."

"Fantastic," Klaus grinned.

"Okay, hold up," Damon intervened. "Since when is it okay to barge in and have your little game night here? Stefan? Back me up please?"

"A little notice would have been nice," Stefan agreed.

Damon raised an incredulous eyebrow. "That's the best you could do?"

Elijah stepped forth then, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "What's the matter, Damon? Afraid of a little competition? Then again, you did lose the girl so I can see how you'd be cautious."

Damon sneered and brushed the Original's shoulder as he retreated into the living room. Elijah tutted with satisfaction.

"Poor baby."

Kol's jaw dropped. "Who even _are _you?!"

* * *

The group reconvened in the living room with a sulking Damon. Caroline sat between Klaus and Bonnie – who was reluctantly joined by Kol on her other side. Stefan and Damon sat alone on an adjacent couch, while Elijah and Rebekah took up the two arm chairs.

Caroline crossed her arms over her chest. "So what game are we playing anyway?"

"The _geniuses _didn't actually bring a game," Rebekah frowned.

"We were relying on Stefan and Damon to supply the entertainment," Kol teased.

"Well, we _do _have Twister somewhere in the closet," Stefan pointed out.

"No!" Caroline said too quickly. She rolled her eyes nervously at all of the wide-eyed stares. "Just...too many bad memories."

Klaus smirked. "They weren't _all _bad, love."

Fighting the smile twitching at her lips, she enforced, "Twister is out."

"Okay, then," Stefan sighed. "Damon, you have any games I don't know about?"

Damon flashed a snarky grin. "None outside of the bedroom."

"I think we have a deck of cards somewhere," Stefan changed the subject.

"Sorry, mate, but after last time, I don't think playing Poker is the safest way to go," Klaus declined.

"What about Spin the Bottle?" Caroline offered, half-teasingly.

"NO," all of the males declared in unison.

"Who would want to kiss you anyway?" Rebekah scoffed at all of them. Seeing Kol ready to open his mouth with a crude remark, she jumped the gun. "Shut it, Kol."

"Or, we could just skip the games and call it a night," Klaus suggested.

"I'm good with that," Bonnie agreed.

"Boo. You two party poopers, where's your game night spirit?" Kol scolded. "How about Charades?"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "What're we, five?"

"Yes," Kol beamed. "We _are_ five. But you, my dear, are a solid ten."

"Please stop trying to hit on me," Bonnie grimaced.

"Oh that's not hitting on you. _This _is hitting on you." He maneuvered himself so he was leaning over her, arm wrapped around her shoulder. He pulled out his phone and pressed the touchscreen. "Siri, hit on Bonnie."

**SIRI: **_I don't do that, Master Handsome._

Kol stared at the phone, displeased. "I'm beginning to wonder what you even do for me anymore, Siri. I think we might need some time apart..."

"Ugh. Caroline, I'm sorry. I can't," Bonnie said as she rose.

"Bonnie, sit!" Caroline demanded with a firmly pointed finger. And she did.

Kol began to clap. "Bravo, darling. You show her who's boss."

"Kol, shut up," Caroline rolled her eyes.

He closed his smiling mouth, raising his eyebrows innocently and saluting her. Bonnie crossed her arms, sulking.

"This is ridiculous, Care. If you want to stay, fine, but why do you have to make _me_?"

"Come on, Bonnie, be my moral support!" she expressed with need. "Stefan's being forced in a room with the guy who stole Elena from him. Think of how crappy it is for him!" She glanced apologetically at Elijah. "Sorry, Elijah. No offense."

"None taken," he smiled.

"Uh, doesn't it kind of defeat the purpose if you're friending the enemy?" Damon argued.

"Nobody cares what you think!" Caroline snapped.

"Hey, Blondie, let me remind you, you're in _my _house."

"_Our _house," Stefan corrected. "And she's right. No one cares what you think, Damon."

"Oh, well this is going to be a _super _fun night," Damon sneered. He stood, squeezing the rim of his nose. "I'm gonna need a drink for this."

"I've got that covered," Klaus announced, appearing with as many of the Salvatore's bottles of liquor as he could carry.

"Now you're ransacking our house?!" Damon cried in disbelief.

"You two have quite the collection. I'm thinking you could benefit from an AA meeting or two..."

"Un. Freaking. Believable."

"Oh, ease up, mate," Klaus smiled maliciously. "It's Game Night. We're all here to have _fun_."

"So, Charades then?" Kol asked eagerly. "Here look, I'll start."

He got up from his seat and walked into the middle of the living room. With a snarky grin, he lifted his arms and pantomimed a baseball bat. Then he gestured to Damon and began continuously swinging his invisible bat with force. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Okay. Here's one for you, Kol. My _foot - " _he pointed to it, " - will be up - " he pointed upward then to Kol, "your ass!"

"Ooh, I'm trembling."

"Like I said," Bonnie shook her head. "I'm leaving."

Caroline hurried to her feet and grabbed her friend's arm. "No, you're not. You are not leaving me here in a house full of crazy vampires."

"Speak for yourself," Kol scolded.

"We all go a little mad sometimes," Klaus teased with a grin.

Caroline just rolled her eyes, shaking her head at him over her shoulder. She looked back at Bonnie with pleading eyes. "You're staying."

"Fine. But I'm only staying for you."

In a few minutes time, Kol had managed to get everyone to write down ideas and put them in a wooden box that Stefan had supplied. In the meantime, Damon and Klaus handed out Bourbon to all who wanted. When all three were through, the game began.

Stefan was up first. He plucked a paper from the box, read it, and then stuck it in his jeans. He stood in the center of the room and took a deep breath. In the air, he drew the face of a square.

"TV show!" Kol called out.

Stefan nodded. Then he proceeded to draw the square again.

"...TV show!" Kol pitched again.

This time, Stefan shook his head furiously as he drew another square in the air. Kol's eyebrows furrowed as Stefan kept repeating the gesture.

"Box? Cube? Quadrilateral?"

"Square, you idiot," Rebekah rolled her eyes.

Stefan nodded. He then pointed to the upper half of his legs adamantly. Kol jumped up from his seat.

"Legs!"

Stefan's shoulders fell. He pointed again. Kol narrowed one eye, then snapped his fingers.

"Thighs."

Stefan still shook his head. Kol sank back into his seat, silently, thinking way too hard about the charade.

"Hips?" Elijah threw out there for kicks.

Heaving a tremendous sigh, Stefan tugged the fabric of his jeans over and over again.

"Pants!" Klaus joined the game.

Stefan nodded with a smile and urged them to put the pieces together with a circular wave of his hands.

"Spongebob Squarepants!" Caroline reigned victorious.

"Yes," Stefan finally spoke. "Your turn, Caroline."

Pleased with herself, Caroline strutted toward the table the box sat on and picked her paper. Her face paled.

"Oh this should be good," Klaus smiled, catching the terrified look in her eyes.

Caroline stood to face them and let her jaw drop so that her mouth formed a perfect O shape.

"Song," Rebekah nodded affirmatively.

Caroline then pointed to her eye and then covered her heart with both hands.

"You love..." Kol rubbed his chin. "It ends with either me or Nik, right?"

"It's _I _love," Klaus told him. "

Caroline rolled her eyes, bracing herself for her humiliation. Slowly she began to dance to no music, swaying her hips with flair. She let her hands slide up her sides and over her head as she moved with grace. Kol and Klaus stared, entranced as she began shimmying her shirt up her stomach gradually.

"Is this Charades or a strip tease?" Bonnie scoffed in disbelief.

Caroline stopped instantly, her face reddening with shame. As she quickly tugged her shirt back down, Kol took out his phone from his pocket and opened Siri.

"Siri, direct me to the nearest cold shower."

**SIRI: **_I found 3 locations that are in your area. _

"Brilliant."

Fuming, Caroline sat back down beside an utterly quiet Klaus. Damon, on the other hand, was sitting back on the couch, hands folded behind his head with a smirk.

"So what was the answer, Blondie?"

Caroline glanced at him sardonically. "The song "I'm in Love with a Stripper." Gee, I wonder who put that in there."

Damon smirked. "I wonder..."

"Whose turn is it?" Stefan tried to ease the tension.

"I'll go," Damon sprang up.

He stood before them all, crumpling his paper and tossing it to the floor carelessly. He rolled his shoulders and took a stance, raising two pin-straight hands at different angles. He lifted one leg forward in the "Praying Mantis" pose, then proceeded to punch the air.

"Martial arts."

"Kung Fu?"

"Karate!"

As Damon lunged forward to do a roundhouse kick, he stumbled and his foot crashed down sideways with a snap and he let out a yelp of pain. Everyone laughed at his expense.

"Damnit!" he groaned, hopping on one foot back to his seat.

"Nice work, mate," Kol congratulated him. "You're a master of martial arts."

"Shut up, Kol."

"Mind if I take a turn now?"

"Please," Stefan nodded, gesturing for him to take the floor.

Kol grinned at his slip of paper, then tucked it into the back pocket of his jeans. He stood tall in front of the group and began to draw the shape of a heart in the air.

"Love," Klaus called out dully.

Kol nodded then proceeded to grab Caroline's hand and pull her to her feet. He bent down on one knee and began planting kisses on the back of her hand, leading up her arm.

"Ugh! Kol," she pulled away. But as she did, he wrapped himself around her legs. Caroline tugged her ankles, attempting to free herself, but Kol let himself be dragged along as she took baby steps.

"That's enough, Kol," Klaus warned.

But Kol went on to climb up her waist, latching his arms around her. He looked up at her with wide, teary eyes and began to make kissy faces.

"What does this have to do with Charades, exactly?" Bonnie was peering skeptically at the display.

Caroline sighed exasperatedly. "Seriously, Kol. Let go!"

Needing to hear no more, Klaus blurred over and gripped Kol's hair, forcing his head backwards so that he was staring up into the hybrid's threatening gaze.

"Let go or I'll rip out your liver."

"Correct! It was liver!"

Klaus' face contorted with confusion. "Are you serious?"

"No," Kol laughed. "It was heart."

With an angry sneer, Caroline wiggled her way out of Kol's grasp and gave him a swift kick to the groin. He toppled over dramatically.

"I know you only hurt me because you love me, darling," he sighed. "I won't tell anyone!"

"Go to Hell, Kol," Caroline glared, leaving the room.

* * *

Caroline hid in the kitchen, trying to recompose herself after the insanity of Kol's charade and the humiliation of her own.

"That was quite the show, Miss Forbes," Klaus appeared, smiling devilishly. "I had no idea you could dance like that."

Caroline turned around, surprised. "Oh, you're talking to me this week?"

"Perhaps I can persuade you to show me some of those moves again. In private?"

"And what makes you think I'll even want to be in private with you?"

"Well you're not running right now, are you?"

She looked down, hiding her smile. "You know you treated me pretty crappy last week."

"So did you. But, if it'll ease your pain, I will apologize."

Caroline looked up, smiling teasingly. "Wow. Are you even capable of such things?"

"Don't push it," he laughed. "Do you forgive me?"

"I do."

"I do too."

"I now pronounce you hybrid and wife!" Kol exclaimed from the doorway. He laughed as he walked into the kitchen. "Oh, Go on. Don't let me interrupt your little reconciliation. I'm just here for the booze."

"There's plenty of alcohol out there," Klaus glared.

"But I want tequila."

"You hate tequila."

"Oh, it's not for me. I've learned little miss priss witch is a Tequila fanatic. Thought I might loosen her up a bit. Or...something."

Caroline's face drained. "Kol, I swear if you do anything to Bonnie - "

"_Relax_, darling. What's a few shots of tequila between friends? Don't you want her to have fun?"

Before she could answer, he was out of the room. Caroline looked up at Klaus, concerned.

"He won't hurt her," Klaus assured her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he led her back out. "I think he may actually fancy her..."

Klaus and Caroline emerged, only to find themselves face to face with an overly judging Bonnie.

"Well that was quick. If you wanted to stay just so you could make out with your evil hybrid sweetie, you could have just said so."

"You're just a wonder with words," Klaus laughed.

Caroline began to grovel. "Look, Bonnie - "

"_Now_ I'm leaving, for real."

"Bonnie, wait!"

Caroline left Klaus' embrace and began running at vampire speed after her friend. Fortunately, Kol was there to block the witch's way.

"_You _are getting far too hard to handle, pet."

"Get out of my way, Kol," Bonnie snarled.

"Not until you pay the toll," he grinned, licking his lips.

Her eyes suddenly narrowed tightly as she focused in on his face. Kol grabbed the sides of his head, shouting in excruciating pain. Klaus was there instantly.

"Whatever you're doing to him, stop," he demanded.

"No," Bonnie growled in a low voice, keeping her concentration.

Klaus gripped her by the shoulders, turning her to face him and Kol's groaning began to subside. Klaus caught her gaze and watched her honey brown eyes dilate.

"You won't be using any more magic tonight. You're going to go back to the party and spending time with your friend. You'll even begin to find yourself having fun."

With that, he released his hold on her shoulders and watched her eyes blink back into focus. Kol nodded a thanks to his brother and brought Bonnie and his bottle of tequila back into the living room.

"You didn't have to do that," Caroline murmured.

"And she didn't have to hurt Kol." He raised a finger to her opening mouth. "Before you start getting angry and ranting, I'll just remind you I only helped her to get out of her own way so she could have fun. And so you could relax."

Caroline sighed, defeatedly. "I hate that I can't hate you."

He squeezed her shoulders. "I enjoy it."

Back on the floor, Rebekah was up. She was down on all fours, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she panted. Klaus and Caroline sat back down, joining the group of thoroughly amused.

"You're Niklaus!" Kol cried. "In wolf form!"

Rebekah sat up on her knees, hands on her hips. "I'm a dog."

"Yeah, you are," Damon snickered.

She reached back and took of her heel and chucked into his head.

"Well he's right," Kol shrugged, proceeding to dodge the other attacking shoe.

"To hell with you both," Rebekah spat, defiantly taking her seat again.

"Kol, go," Stefan told him.

"How? I didn't get it right.."

"Yeah, well, you're the only one who guessed. So just go."

Shrugging happily, Kol obliged. He plucked a topic from the dwindling box of papers, then leapt center stage and stretched his arms out to his sides.

"This is your Captain Siri speaking. Please turn off all electronic devices and fasten seatbelts. We are lifting off!"

"Kol, you're not supposed to speak," Rebekah admonished.

But Kol was busy zooming around the room, flapping his arms and making obscenely loud noises. He completely disregarded everyone as he continued to "fly" around.

Rebekah leaned over Klaus toward Elijah. "Do you think he realizes how foolish he looks?"

"It's likely he's doing it on purpose," Elijah responded. "He enjoys the attention."

"You think?" Klaus added, dully.

"I can _hear_ you," Kol griped through gritted teeth. He stopped suddenly and brought his fist to his lips, then began making a crackling noise. "Attention passengers: The pilot has just turned on the fasten seatbelt sign. No need to be alarmed, we've just hit a bit of turbulence and - BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP! May day! May day! We're going to crash!" He failed his arms wildly as he ran around the room with his vampiric speed, blurring from to and fro. "Everyone fasten your friend's mask first so they can LIVE while you DIE!" He let his body wobble from side to side. "NEEEEEEERRROOOOWW! We're going down!" He zoomed away and appeared on the top of the couch behind Damon and Stefan. "Abandon ship! Abandon ship! WE"RE ALL GONNA DIE!"

Just as he jumped down, Elijah zoomed before him, halting the antics. With a cold, hard stare, he said, "Airplane."

Kol's open mouth shut instantly and his arms dropped to his sides. "Yep."

* * *

After a while, the paper slips rand out and the game had died down. Kol had mysteriously vanished but no one was particularly worried about that. Caroline and Klaus were too busy lost in their own world of kanoodling, now that they were back on good terms. Stefan was drowning his Elena woes in too much Bourbon and Damon and Elijah were exchanging light-hearted insults that were in danger of becoming more heated with time. As Caroline temporarily snapped out of her Klaus trance, she noticed Bonnie wasn't there anymore.

"Did she actually leave without telling me?"

"Maybe she just went to the ladies'," Klaus proposed.

"She's been gone for twenty minutes," Rebekah informed them. "Kol for longer."

Caroline's head dropped against Klaus' chest. "If he did anything to her I swear I'll kill him."

Klaus smiled. "You're adorable when you're making death threats." He got to his feet, taking her with him. "Come on. Let's see if we can't find them. Rebekah?"

"What else have I got to do?" she shrugged.

The three set off in a search, sticking together at first, then branching off after checking the kitchen. Klaus and Caroline left Rebekah to check Damon's bedroom as they checked Stefan's, but neither found a thing. As the pair headed down the hall toward the basement door, Rebekah stopped in her tracks hearing a noise coming from the closet beside her. She peered at the door curiously. When she pulled it open her jaw dropped open at what she found.

"Oh bloody hell, Kol," she scoffed loudly.

Caroline and Klaus turned back. Rebekah held out her arm, gesturing for them to glimpse the guilty looks upon Kol and Bonnie's faces.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the pot meets the kettle," she announced.

Bonnie turned around, wiping her lips sloppily. Kol, on the other hand, stood smiling proudly. The closet reeked of tequila and one look into Bonnie's eyes said she was far beyond gone.

Caroline's shoulders slumped and she put her hands on her hips. "Did you compel her, Kol?"

Kol put up his fingers in a traditional Boy Scout salute. "I swear on Siri I did not!"

"Okay." She crossed her arms, giving Bonnie a disapproving look. "You. Spill."

Bonnie shrugged nonchalantly. "Everyone else is slutting it up with the Originals. I figured I'd see what all the hype was."

Caroline sighed and pulled Bonnie out of the closet by her arm. "You're drunk and you're making bad choices. I'll blame the alcohol later, but right now I blame Kol."

"What'd _I _do? She came onto _me!"_

"Caroline, have I ever told you you have the softest looking hair?" Bonnie smiled. "I just want to touch it, like, all the time."

"W...ow. Kol, how many shots did you give her?"

Bonnie giggled and it ended as a hiccup. "Whole bottle's gone. Bad boy's a good kisser."

Kol grinned. "I _have_ heard that a time or two..."

"Kol you promised you wouldn't take advantage of her," Klaus frowned.

"Not true. I promised I wouldn't hurt her. As it is, I've given her nothing but pleasure."

"Eww," Caroline shrieked. "Ew, ew, ew. I can't even think about that right now."

"I'm serious, Care," Bonnie blinked too many times, smiling stupidly. "He's a _realllllllllly _good kisser. Are all the Mikaelsons? Is Klaus a good kisser?" She turned to him. "Are you a good kisser? Ner'rmind. I have to call 'lena and ask her 'bout Mmlijah."

Caroline looked at Klaus. "I'm gonna kill him."

"I'll take care of him. You get her sitting. From the looks of it, she's got the spins."

And he was right. Bonnie was swaying, her eyes moving furiously. They all reentered the living room, Caroline dragging Bonnie with her to the couch and Klaus watching Kol as they followed. Damon and Elijah were now standing a few feet apart from each other, a thick tension rippling through the air.

"If Elena wants to go be with Elijah, that's her choice," Stefan calmly reasoned from the couch. He too was well on his way to being drunk. "I'm not g'nna...hold her back if it makes her happy."

"Oh grow up, Stefan," Damon shook his head with a grimace. "Stop trying to be the good guy. Elena left us for the Original Doppleganger groupie. Have some dignity and be pissed off!"

Elijah folded his hands, smiling coolly. "Stefan can take comfort knowing that she's at least with the better man."

Damon snarled. "You wanna take this outside?"

"Damon, do yourself a favor," Elijah shook his head piteously. "Don't make threats we all know you're incapable of backing up."

Kol leaned over to Klaus. "When did Elijah become so _fun?"_

Klaus smirked at his brother. "There's a lot you don't know about our dear Elijah."

Rebekah in the mean time had quietly pulled out her phone and began texting. Still leaning over Klaus, Kol glanced at his sister with intrigue.

"And who are you texting over there with a smile?"

She looked up rolling her eyes. "Who do you think I'm texting, Kol? I'm texting Matt."

"He's not still gay?" Caroline laugh-scoffed.

Bonnie's eyes went wild. "What? Matt's gay!? I knew it..."

"Long story," Caroline brushed her off.

"Thankfully Kol was able to remedy that little prank of his," Rebekah smiled sweetly. "Seems now, more than ever, Matt is happy to accept my offers of dating."

"Don't tell me you compelled him too."

"No!" Rebekah snapped. "I don't _have _to compel a guy to like me, thank you."

"Or to sleep with you," Elijah added, sitting back down. "Right Damon?"

"I'm about two seconds away from white oak staking your ass," Damon threatened.

"A lot of good that'd do you," Kol chimed in. "You'll want to aim slightly higher than that."

Damon groaned in exasperation as a few of the vampires chuckled.

"All right," Stefan conceded, still smiling. "We're supposed to be playing a game here."

"We are," Kol nodded. "It's the Pick on Damon game. And it's your turn, mate."

Stefan laughed. "Trust me, over 165 years, I've had my fill."

"_Thank you_, Stefan," Damon smiled in gratitude. "At least I can trust my brother to back me up."

"Oh, I'm not backing you up," Stefan laughed. "I've just run out of ways to piss you off. But Elijah's doing a good enough job for the both of us."

"How can you be so calm? You loved her as much as I did!"

"Because unlike you, Damon, I can let go."

"And so can she," Elijah added. "She's better off, anyway. After everything the two of you have put her through, she deserves peace."

"Enough out of you," Damon warned. "One more word and I'll kick you so far out of my house - "

"Don't tempt me," Elijah glared. "I'm smarter, I'm stronger, and I'm a helluva lot more agile than you, Damon."

"Bring it, old man!"

Elijah stood, suddenly. "_Old man_?"

"Don't stoop to his level," Caroline shook her head.

"Stay out of it Blondie." Damon's eyes locked with Elijah's. "You gonna stand there all helpless or you gonna fight me?"

Elijah raised his eyebrows and a wide smile spread across his face. "Caroline's right. I don't have to stoop to your level. I've already won the girl."

"Seriously! Where has this Elijah _been _all my life!?" Kol cried out.

Taking advantage of the unsuspecting moment, Damon lunged after Elijah. The Original's lightning reflexes sprang to life as he grabbed Damon's arm at the last second and twisted it so his whole body flipped to the ground. He hovered over him, down on one knee, glaring.

"Elijah!" Caroline stomped her foot down. Then she raised a challenging eyebrow. "What would Elena think?"

Elijah stopped, a flash of concern passing through his eyes. Damon laughed snidely at his reaction. "You're no better than Stefan. You can have her. She's sloppy seconds anyway!"

Growling, Elijah picked Damon up by the collar of his shirt and threw him across the room into the bookshelves. As books toppled around him, Damon got to his feet just in time for Elijah to wrap his hands around his throat. Damon peeled a splintered piece of wood from the broken shelf and pierced Elijah's abdomen, forcing him to release his hold. Elijah tore the wood from his stomach, quickly racing after Damon. He pinned the Salvatore against the floor, digging his knee into his chest, as he held the wood inches from his heart.

"Enough!" someone shouted.

And surprisingly, it turned out to be Kol. He sauntered over to the scene, raising his hands in disbelief.

"Okay, you know things have gone completely ass backwards when _I _have to break _Elijah _from a fight." He held his hand out in offering. "Come on, Lij."

As he helped pull Elijah to his feet, Elijah's iPhone slipped out of his pocket and hit the floor face first. The drop toggled his Siri app with a small beep.

**SIRI: **_What can I help you with, Elder One?_

Kol's eyes widened in horror as his hand slipped from Elijah's grasp. "You bloody bastard..." he said breathlessly. "_YOU'RE _ELDER ONE!?"


	15. Chapter 15: Kerplunk!

**PixieKindofCrazy** - Challenge accepted.

**LadyKlaus**- I should just hire you as my editor, you keep catching my flubs! lol No, it's actually appreciated. And I guess I didn't do my research with witches and compulsion. Let's just chalk it up to fiction. :)

**angelvasilis1997**- Welcome back! The Salvatore boys unfortunately can't make as many appearances due to the storyline of Elejah...makes for awkward squishy feels. :P But I'll try! Also, Sex/Marry/Kill is going to happen. Fear not! :P

**BlackBird99**- YES! You were the only one who caught that and I love you for it! I was totally referencing the Twister game Rippah Stefan initiated. :P

**XxFallingSlowlyxX** - I know, I know. I got a few comments on the compelling Bonnie thing. I didn't do my research. But we'll just call it a work of fiction, for the sake of the story. But, I did learn, Originals CAN also compel hybrids. Just...y'know...saying. ;)

_Dear Readers/Reviewers/Followers/Favoriters: _  
_Your continuing patronage to my story and endless laughter warms my heart.  
Please don't stop! I love you all so much! _  
_Love always, _  
_Dee._

* * *

_First off, I hope everyone - well, those who celebrate it - had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!_  
_Second off, thank you to those who sent me game suggestions. I have a good amount of games added to my list now._

_This chapter was a HUGE challenge. But I think I managed pretty well. (I hope.) Had no idea the impact Kol had on this story. That said..._  
_I'm late, I'm late, I'm late! For a very important update! See what I did there? ;)_

* * *

Week 14

It had been exactly one week since the biggest blow out between two of the Original siblings had erupted. Upon learning the true identity of the temple runner, "Elder One", Kol immediately fled from the scene at the Salvatore household in a rage. As the next week ensued, Elijah tried more than once to regain his brother's trust but Kol acted as if he didn't exist. He refused to speak to _anyone_ and was only seen in short intervals in which he was just retrieving more liquor to drink away his woes. By Wednesday, there was no alcohol left in the house, and Kol mysteriously vanished.

When Friday night finally rolled around, Elijah's concern began to overwhelm him. He aimlessly walked the halls of the Original mansion in search of Kol, hoping to make amends with his younger brother, but he was nowhere to be found. Only when he heard Rebekah and Klaus carrying on as they had all week, as if nothing were wrong, did he finally give up his hunt and retreat toward the Great room...

"You're cheating!" Rebekah's voice accused. "You _have_ to be!"

"I'm not," Klaus laughed. "There's a certain technique to how you flick your wrist. Here look..."

The two were standing in front of the TV when Elijah walked abruptly into the room, his face forlorn. "Have either of you seen Kol?"

Rebekah turned and faced Elijah with a bored expression. "He's not still up in his room sulking and drowning his woes with a bottle?"

"He hasn't been home in three days." He stared at her incredulously. "You didn't notice?"

She shrugged dismissively, going back to the screen. "I noticed it was quieter..."

Elijah sighed. He joined Rebekah in watching his brother aim a long white remote at the TV. His eyebrows knit when he glimpsed what looked like a bowling lane on the flatscreen.

"What exactly are you playing?"

"It is called a Wii, and no, there is no innuendo attached to that," Klaus explained, focused on his aim.

"It's a video gaming system," Rebekah clarified over her shoulder. "We're virtually bowling. Nik's idea."

Elijah sat down on the couch, frowning. "Sounds like something Kol would enjoy..."

"You're up baby sister," Klaus said, switching spots with Rebekah. He took a sip from his glass of wine on the coffee table and proceeded to address Elijah. "Kol's like a dog. He'll always, eventually, find his way home."

"I'm just worried he may be self-deprecating," Elijah expressed his concern. "And I'm the one responsible."

"Oh stop guilting yourself, Elijah. It wasn't that huge of a betrayal."

"I didn't mean for him to get hurt," he began to rub the back of his neck in remorse. "I just wanted a little payback."

"Well, you got it," Klaus flagrantly told him, flopping down beside his brother on the couch. "Let's just continue putting on Game Night as planned. He won't resist showing up to ruin it."

"Two strikes in a row!" Rebekah gloated. She turned to her brothers, swinging the remote around her wrist with a smug grin. "If I get this last one, there's no way you can beat me."

Elijah nodded, trying to reassure himself with Klaus' words. "I suppose you're right..."

He got up with a grunt. "When am I ever not?"

"Where should I begin?" Rebekah teased as she turned to take the last half of her turn.

Just as she pulled her arm back to let the ball go, Klaus brushed by her and nudged her elbow to the left, causing her ball to go straight into the gutter.

She stomped her foot down childishly. "Cheat!"

His lips lifted into a lopsided grin. "I slipped."

"Like hell you did! You just can't lose gracefully, can you, Nik?"

Klaus raised his eyebrows and pointed to the scores on the screen, his now significantly higher than hers. "What do those numbers up there say, Rebekah?"

"They say you're an arrogant swine." She tore the Wii remote from her wrist and threw it against the couch cushions. "I quit."

He spread his arms wide, defenselessly. "Now who's being a sore loser?"

* * *

An hour passed before Rebekah rejoined her siblings in the Great room where they were anticipating Caroline's arrival so the Game Night could properly commence. Still downtrodden with shame, Elijah excused himself to take a long, hot shower in the hopes that it would ease him mind and help get him into the Game Night spirit. Klaus had been engaged in a game of Wii Tennis, and Rebekah saw the opportunity for payback.

"You do realize your character's nose is about three times bigger than your own, right, Nik?" she pestered him. "And his chin is pointier."

"While I appreciate the criticisms, please quit analyzing my character, Rebekah," he muttered. "You're distracting me."

"Am I?" she asked coyly, the corners of her mouth turning up. "Well, while I'm at it, have you noticed the hairstyle? It's all wrong."

"Not going to work," he strained through gritted teeth, reaching his arm to hit the virtual tennis ball.

"Caroline's here."

"What?" he stopped and turned around.

"Just kidding," she smiled sweetly.

He pointed the remote at her. "One day I _will_ kill you."

"With a Wii remote?" she shook her head piteously. "Not possible."

"Keep badgering me, Rebekah," he threatened, still keeping the remote poised at her throat.

A knock on the front door interrupted their minor spat. Klaus lowered his eyebrows at his sister.

"I thought you were kidding?"

"I was," she shrugged, getting up to answer the door. When she did, not only was Caroline there to greet her, but so was a certain brunette that she didn't really favor. "Great. You've brought Elena," she cheered sarcastically. Her head titled as she peered around the doppleganger. "And the rest of the Scooby gang."

"Jeremy _wanted _to come," Elena explained with a roll of her eyes, walking in after Caroline. "He thinks Kol is funny."

"Hey. Don't hate just because he wanted to be _my _friend and not yours," Jeremy teased.

Matt grimaced, walking in behind them. "Kol doesn't have friends, he has _fun._" He caught sight of Rebekah and nodded with a smile in greeting to his Original almost-beau. "Hey, Rebekah."

Rebekah flashed Matt a smile and waggled her fingers at him in a coy wave. He joined her on the couch opposite of where Caroline had just taken a seat beside Klaus.

"What about the witch?" Klaus teased.

Caroline sucked the air in through her teeth in a wince. "Y...eah. She's kind of still battling the after effects of tequila and Kol."

"Is that why she randomly texted me asking if Elijah was a good kisser?" Elena asked, arching her eyebrow.

"Details that I do not need ever to know about," Rebekah shuddered.

"Likewise," Jeremy agreed.

Elena looked around, curiously. "Hey, where_ is _Elijah?"

"I believe he went upstairs to consecrate himself of his shame," Klaus informed her.

Elena stared dubiously while Caroline rolled her eyes. "He means he's in the shower." She stood, taking Elena's hand. "Come on, I'll show you."

Elena stopped her. "Why do you know where the shower in the Original mansion is?"

Caroline blinked wide eyes. She put her hands on her hips in a fluster. "Do you want to find Elijah or not?"

"All right, all right," Elena laughed, following her pushy friend.

They left the boys (and Rebekah) to their own as they trudged up the staircase, bantering in subdued voices about Bonnie's indiscretion from the previous week. A door down the hall swung open suddenly, stopping them in their tracks. Elijah walked out briskly, dripping wet and completely bare. They stared, jaws dropping at what they saw. Elijah stared back, frozen in shock. Caroline tried three times before she could formulate words.

"We were just...We were l-looking...I-I mean..." Caroline stammered.

Elena cleared her throat, grabbing Caroline's hand and nodding affirmatively. "We're gonna go."

Caroline continued gawking, even as Elena pulled her away and around the bend to the stairs.

"Oh my god," she whispered in astonishment as they descended the staircase. "Do you think _all _of the Original men are that well endowed?"

"I don't know," Elena muttered, humiliated _for _Elijah. "I'm just glad Kol wasn't around to witness that. We'd never hear the end of it."

When they got back to the room, wine was poured and they took their seats in silence. Caroline couldn't help but let her eyes fall on the southmost part of Klaus' torso, wondering about family resemblances.

"Caroline!" Elena hissed from across the way, spying her friend's not so subtle eyeslide.

"Huh?" she looked up.

Elena shot her friend a warning glance and Caroline immediately flushed. Klaus chose that precise moment to lean into her, his lips brushing her ear. Caroline jumped from his touch. He pulled back slightly, startled himself.

"Are you all right, love?"

"What? Oh. Fine. Yes."

"Did you two manage to locate Elijah?"

"Oh yeah," she laughed exaggeratedly. "And how."

He lowered his eyebrows, not quite sure what that meant. Elena, meanwhile, had buried her face in her hands.

"Hey where's Kol?" Jeremy asked, suddenly.

"He uh...he won't be joining us this evening," Elijah told him, walking into the room, now fully clothed, his hair still glistening from the shower.

Caroline's eyes slipped downward when she tried to look up at him, and when he caught her, she immediately glanced away. Elijah looked down abashed as he sat with Elena.

Jeremy's shoulders slumped. "Oh. Awesome. So I'm playing seventh wheel tonight."

"You're not the seventh wheel, Jer," Elena assured him.

"Yeah, buddy," Matt agreed. "You're with friends. Sort of."

"It's cool," Jeremy waved away their sympathy. "I'm used to flying solo. So what game are we playing tonight?"

"Kerplunk!," Elena announced as Elijah handed her the box from the side of the armchair.

While she set up, Elijah explained the rules. "We take turns removing plastic straws, one at a time, from the cylinder, trying not to let the marbles drop. At the end, when all of the straws have been pulled, whoever has dropped the least amount of balls is deemed the winner."

"Balls dropping," Jeremy snickered.

Caroline choked on her drink, sputtering wine over her lap. Everyone paused to look at her but she waved them away, keeping her other hand firmly planted over her mouth. She snuck a glance over at Elijah but he kept his eyes strictly averted. Elena was staring daggers at her.

"I'm just saying," Jeremy continued. "Kol would definitely have something to say about that."

Matt stared, dimwittedly. "Why would he have something to say about balls dropping?"

"Think about it man," he urged. "Balls?"

"Yeah? And?"

"Come on. You know. _Balls. _Like testicles?"

"Can we please stop talking about balls?!" Caroline suddenly burst out.

The entirety of the room turned to look in her direction. She blinked, furiously, repressing her urge to glance at Elijah's pants again.

"Sorry," she apologized quietly to the room. "It's just...gross."

Elijah shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Let's just get the game started."

He gestured to the vertically standing translucent cylinder with dozens of multi-colored plastic straws stuck through the middle. Atop the mass of sticks sat a mound of marbles, waiting to fall.

"So this is somewhat similar to Jenga," Klaus noted, trying to ease the ever abundant tension.

"Except that there's no Kol to continuously knock it down," Rebekah pointed out.

"It's gonna be kinda nice without him here," Elena mused.

"And quiet," Caroline added, finally finding her center.

"Peaceful," Klaus agreed.

"Yeah, but it's kinda more fun with Kol around," Jeremy reasoned.

"When you get compelled by him, you can tell me how fun Kol Mikaelson is," Matt sneered.

"Can we please not talk about Kol?" Elijah pleaded. "He's not here. We don't need his spirit to be either."

"Relax, Elijah," Elena crooned soothingly, wrapping his hand in hers. "Don't beat yourself up so much."

"He's my brother. And I've destroyed his life. How am I supposed to handle that?"

Klaus scoffed. "Well you've ruined mine on numerous occasions. Where's your remorse for that?"

"This time was unintentional," Elijah argued.

"Right. So all those times you sabotaged my plans to break the hybrid curse, it was on purpose," he grumbled bitterly, toasting his brother with what was left of his wine and downing it. "So much for family."

"Don't make this about you, Nik," Rebekah scolded. "Elijah's in pain and you're fueling the fire."

"That's a little bit of a contradiction, sweetheart. As I recall, you are queen of inflicting pain."

"Well, I learned from the best," she shot back.

"Someone had to teach you. Otherwise you'd still be letting men take advantage of you. Actually, that hasn't exactly changed much, has it?"

"Hey. Stop dicking around, Klaus," Matt defended her.

"Oh my god," Caroline groaned, lowering her head to her knees.

"Caroline...?" Klaus asked, tentatively.

"I'm fine," she mumbled, keeping her head lowered.

"The point is," Rebekah continued, "Elijah needs consolation, not resentment. He's down enough on himself."

"You're right, dear sister," Klaus taunted bitterly. "Don't be gloomy, Elijah. It's not your fault you've a knack for ruining lives."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't throw him any bones."

Caroline giggled in her lap.

Jeremy pointed. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"It's nothing. Not a big a deal," Elena grumbled.

Blonde waves whipped up, fanning out as Caroline lifted her head with a laugh. "Actually, it kind of is big."

"Caroline!"

She stood immediately, nodding her head. "So who wants a drink!?"

* * *

Briefly after bringing out the bottles of wine and Bourbon and settling down, everyone began to gravitate towards playing "Kerplunk!". Elijah went first, slipping the first straw out with ease. Elena, Klaus, and Caroline followed suit, and Rebekah was the first to make two of the marbles fall. Jeremy wielded his red straw, toying with it back and forth between his fingers after his turn. Matt pulled out a blue one, dropping only one marble. Jeremy stopped and they exchanged a knowing glance.

"The force is with you, young Skywalker," Jeremy started. They crossed their sticks, holding an intensely serious staredown. "But you are not a Jedi yet."

"Oh god," Elena groaned, knowing what was coming.

Matt pulled away first and he and Jeremy started making laser sounds as they "battled".

"You have learned much, young one," Jeremy grinned.

Matt raised his eyebrows, laughingly. "You'll find I'm full of surprises!"

"Your destiny lies with me, Skywalker," Jeremy forced his red stick downward. Matt pretended to strain against him. "Obi Wan knew this to be true!"

Matt's stick suddenly flew out of his hand and bounced against the wood floor. "No!" he gasped.

"All too easy," Jeremy shook his head, still in character. "Perhaps you are not as strong as the Emperor thought."

Just as Jeremy raised his stick to strike, Matt pulled another blue one from the game, sending a few marbles dropping, and blocked Jeremy's attack.

Jeremy's eyebrows raised in amazement. "Impressive. Most impressive. Obi Wan has taught you well."

Caroline scoffed. "Okay, seriously, you two need to quit the nerdy bromancing."

They laughed and Matt glanced over at her while saying, "I don't think the force is with her."

Jeremy nodded. "She has much to learn."

"Elena!" Caroline whined.

"Enough, Jeremy," Elena enforced.

Both Matt and Jeremy rolled their eyes, surrendering their straws to the pile.

"Kol would've gotten it..." Jeremy muttered.

Rebekah blinked. "Do I even want to know what that was?"

"No," Elena and Caroline said, simultaneously.

"Well, now _I'm _interested," Klaus leaned forward with a smirk.

Jeremy nearly leapt over the table in shock. "You've never seen Star Wars!?"

"Tragedy!" Matt agreed.

"It's only like the greatest space fantasy of all time!"

"Space..._fantasy_?" Elijah chimed in, intrigued.

"Oh man," Jeremy slapped his head. "We gotta marathon."

Matt nodded, eagerly. "We'll do a Guys' Night. We can watch all six."

Rebekah straightened up, annoyed. "Why does it have to be a guys' night? Can't we be invited?"

"N-n-n-no," Caroline waved her hands in front of her. "You do _not _want to get into that, Rebekah. Trust me."

"Well if it's the only way Matt will ever spend time with me, then I might just have to," she brooded.

Matt gaped at her like she was crazy. "What is_ that_ supposed to mean?"

"It means we've been tiptoeing around each other long enough. Either you want to date me or you don't."

"Are you seriously that insecure?" He smiled, sympathizing. "I thought it was pretty clear, Rebekah. I mean, I've been here, how many times?"

"That doesn't mean anything," she shook her head. "You can't possibly expect to win me over with my brothers around. I want to go out on an _actual _date."

"All right, fine," he sighed exasperatedly. "How about next week, then? We'll go out on a _real _date. Deal?"

Rebekah smirked, gratefully. "Deal."

"Ohmigod we could double!" Caroline squealed, clasping Klaus' hand. Her eyes flicked to Elena and Elijah. "Or triple!"

"_No,_" Rebekah said, adamantly. "No extra people. Just me, and Matt."

"Fineee," Caroline sulked, topping off her drink. "Where'd the bottle go?"

"I don't think you need any more Bourbon, sweetheart," Klaus stroked her wrist. "You're looking a little buzzed as it is."

"A little buzzed is not enough," she hiccuped, leaving his embrace to find more liquor. "And don't call me sweetheart if I'm not your girlfriend!"

Klaus watched her leave, a perplexed expression on his face at her last words.

"It's your turn to pull out, Klaus," Elena reminded the hybrid.

Jeremy sighed. "Man, I miss Kol."

* * *

As time went on and more and more alcohol was consumed, Caroline found her vision blurring, head spinning, and inhibitions lowering. Her curiosity piqued and she decided seduction might be her best bet in making the Original brother comparison she longed for. She giggled, leaning against Klaus as he attempted to remove a straw. She let her lips linger only centimeters from his earlobe, breathing warm air down his neck.

"Nice and gentle," she crooned softly. "Easy does it..."

He glanced sideways at her, grinning. "That's very distracting, love."

Caroline grinned. "I know."

He began to concentrate again as he slowly eased out a yellow straw, inch by inch. Caroline began blowing into his ear and a shudder went through him, making the cylinder wobble. The last handful of marbles dropped as the straw came out. Klaus shot her a chastising stare and she giggled, leaning back again.

"You're so good at pulling out."

Jeremy held his hand up. "See, if Kol were here, he would have immediately turned that into a euphemism."

Klaus smirked. "I thought it already was?"

Caroline giggled again, making it clear she was more than tipsy. "Yep."

"Are you drunk so soon, love?"

"Mmmmmaybe?" she grinned, batting flirtatious eyelashes at him.

He pulled her in against him with a low possessive snarl. "Well, we might just have to do something about that."

"Talk is cheap," she murmured, letting her lips linger a hair's width from his.

"In that case..." He cupped her face and closed the distance in a heated kiss.

"Yeah...it's, uh, kind of weird without Kol here," Matt agreed, doing his best to ignore the lovefest going on across the way. "He's like, the missing link to the chain of unfortunate events."

Elijah frowned. "Realistically, this night would have been much more of a disaster if he were around."

"Why?" Jeremy asked in disbelief. "Worst that could have happened were a few dick jokes."

Caroline pulled away from Klaus and burst into hysterical laughter. Again the room was left to stare awkwardly at the drunk blonde.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, breathlessly. "It's just...dicks! And balls...and sticks...and balls..." She doubled over into the couch cushions, ignoring the stares around her. When she finally quieted down, she turned her head against the couch, eyes glistening. "I'm drunk."

"I think I'll escort her up to my room," Klaus stood.

"No," Elena jumped up after him. "She's my friend and she's drunk. No way am I letting you take advantage of that."

Klaus blinked. "I was going to let her rest in my bed... Sleep off her intoxication?"

Jeremy snickered. "Jeeze, Elena. Don't be such a cockblock."

"Cockblock!" Caroline laughed. "That's funny, right Elena?"

"I'm not familiar with that slang," Klaus furrowed his brow.

"It means she's blocking you from getting laid," Matt explained.

"Ah." He nodded. "Then yes, if I were after that. But like I said, she needs to sober up."

"Would you guys chill?" Caroline laughed. "I'm fiiiiiine."

Klaus turned back to her and began waggling three fingers in front of her eyes. "How many fingers, love?"

She blinked three times, trying to focus. "Nine," she said, matter-of-factly.

"Right. I'm taking you upstairs," he declared, scooping her up in his arms.

"Yes! Please!" she cheered ecstatically. "Let's go upstairs so I can _finally _see if there's a family resemblance!"

His face dropped. "What resemblance?"

Elena laughed too loudly, trying to play it off. "She's drunk..."

Caroline's hand found its way down toward the front of his jeans and he jumped back, nearly dropping her. He pulled her hand back up and held her hands together.

"You're handsy when you're drunk."

"And you're sexy when you're..." She blinked hard. "When...Sexy you're..." She sighed in frustration. "Whatever. You're sexy."

He laughed. "I guess I'll take that compliment."

"Can we go now? I really wanna see," she begged. Her head flailed over his arm and she found herself staring at his feet. "Hmm. Elena, does Elijah have big feet too or is that whole thing just an urban myth?"

Elijah choked his wine down, coughing. "Excuse me?!"

Elena's eyes widened. "I don't...I..." She looked over at Elijah, helplessly.

"Am I missing something between you three?" Klaus asked, finally getting suspicious.

"No," Elena said quickly. "It's nothing. Really."

"Don't do that, Elena," Elijah scolded. "We promised no lies."

"But he'll get mad. It was an accident, anyway."

"He'll find out eventually."

"Fine, but it doesn't have to be from me."

"You would rather he found out from Caroline?"

Klaus' face hardened, his anger growing with every second of stalling. Caroline kept trying to slip her hands downward, pushing Klaus even further into rage. He hurled her over his shoulder to stop her, so that her head and arms dangled over his back.

"Find out _what?" _he demanded.

"You have a great ass," Caroline muttered.

"Caroline, be silent, please."

Elena sighed in defeat. "When we were upstairs, Caroline and I kind of...walked in on Elijah. ...Coming out of the shower."

Caroline attempted to right herself to add, "Butt. Naked."

"Ew!" Rebekah shuddered. "That is _so _much more than I needed to hear!"

"Drinks!" Matt rose suddenly. "Who wants more drinks?!"

"I do," Jeremy agreed.

The two left, Rebekah quickly following after them. Fed up with her constant squirming, Klaus set Caroline back on her feet, holding tightly onto her forearm.

"So...she saw you in the buff," Klaus registered. His face contorted with emotions then immediately shut down. "_That's _the resemblance she was referring to."

Caroline smacked his chest. "Wait. You guys have been around a thousand plus years and you've never seen each other's junk?"

"It wasn't exactly high on my list of priorities," Elijah told her.

"Nor mine," Klaus said, his voice tight. He cleared his throat. "I'm going to take her to sleep it off."

"Bye 'lena!" Caroline waved over his shoulder, happily drunk. "I'll text you the answer!"

When they were gone, Elena turned back to Elijah, frowning. "You shouldn't have told him."

"I don't see the what the big deal is."

"Because he's going to have a complex, now."

Elijah laughed lightly. "I think you're exaggerating a bit, Elena. And underestimating Niklaus."

"No, I'm not. Original or not, he's still a guy," she insisted. "He knows she's seen you now and he'll sit there and start thinking about whether or not he measures up. And then he'll start thinking about what Caroline would think if he _didn't _measure up. If she'd think less of him or, worse, more of you."

He raised his eyebrows. "You've really analyzed this."

She smiled. "I'm a girl. I do that."

He grinned, a new expression on his face. "So I measure up, huh?"

She laughed. "You know you do, Elijah."

They embraced in a loving kiss, just as Rebekah started to walk out of the doorway. She stopped in her tracks, Matt bumping into her. They stared awkwardly at the display.

"Is it safe to go back out yet?" Jeremy asked from behind them.

"Nope," they answered in unison.

* * *

In a matter of minutes, Klaus returned back downstairs, baring bite marks all over his neck and puncture wounds bleeding through his shirt. Each guest's eyebrows shot up in question.

"Dude, what happened to you?" Jeremy asked for them all.

"She attacked me," he muttered, angrily.

"Why would she attack you!?" Elena exclaimed, worriedly.

"Not _attack_ attacked. She practically tried to rape me." The entire room burst into laughter. "It's not funny!"

Still chuckling, Matt said, "It is, kind of."

Elena sat up, her concern growing. "Where is she now?"

"Still upstairs. I gave her a blood bag to sober her up some."

"Why are you even down here if you've got a hot chick dying to sleep with you?" Jeremy wondered.

"Because she's drunk," Klaus reasoned. "Sober Caroline would never be such a loose cannon. Besides, I'd rather not have our first encounter with the lot of you here as witnesses."

"At least you wouldn't run the risk of Kol walking in on you," Elijah pointed out.

A loud slam against the wall made all of the human attendees jump. The vampires turned a cheek toward the archway in nonchalance.

"Honey, I'm home!" a familiar voice echoed.

Another slam had them all running to the foyer to see a very, belligerently drunk Kol stumbling toward them.

Elijah cautiously walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay, Kol?"

"Dance with me, Lij!"

Kol grabbed his brother's hand and wrapped his arm around his back, waltzing him around the foyer. In his drunken stupor, he used his inhuman strength to lift Elijah from the floor and swung him around, ignoring the Original's struggling while he hummed an off-key tune.

"Kol!" Elijah shouted. "Let me down!"

"Yes, you're a _wonderful _dancer, darling!"

In midst of all the commotion, a somewhat less inebriated Caroline snuck back out, stopping in the middle of the staircase at the sight of Kol and Elijah dancing.

"I thought you hated me?!" Elijah reminded him.

Kol stopped moving abruptly, his eyes refocusing. "Oh. That's right."

With a sneer, he sent Elijah soaring across the foyer and into the stair railing. Elijah rolled over, propping himself up with his palm. Kol stalked over to him.

"Kol, I understand you're mad," Elijah began.

"Oh, do you, _Elder One_? You understand that I'm absolutely _outraged_ because you destroyed the one thing that meant most to me, _ELDER ONE?!_"

Elijah sighed, lowering his head. "It was just a joke."

"Well joke's on _you, _Daddy 'Lijah. Because I don't give a damn what you or _Elder One _do anymore!" He squatted before his fallen brother and leaned real close. "You're dead to me."

"All this over Temple Run?" Elijah tutted.

"SCREW TEMPLE RUN!" Kol rose shouting. "I'm done giving my life over to a phone!"

"Even Siri?" Rebekah quietly inquired, mostly out of jest.

Kol sneered then took the phone out of his pocket and threw it against the wall with shattering force. The pieces clanked to the floor.

Rebekah stared, wide-eyed. "Kol, what's gotten into you?"

He laughed maniacally. "Actually, it's more what _I've _gotten into." He turned and flashed Elena a sideways smirk. "You know Bonnie is quite acrobatic."

Elena's eyes widened. "Please tell me you're joking."

"Witches are surprisingly good shags," he laughed light-heartedly.

Caroline zoomed forth from the stairs and aimed to slap him, but he caught her hand and pulled her close with a groan. "Probably not as good as you, though."

"Get off me Kol," she said in a low warning voice.

"And let Nik have all the fun?" He suddenly grabbed her and pressed his lips to hers, ignoring the little shrieks of protest against his mouth.

Klaus immediately lunged for him but Elijah thrust him backward.

"He's drunk," he reminded Klaus with a stern nod.

"I don't bloody care!"

But before he could get past Elijah, Kol was sent hurling into the front door in a blur. Caroline glared down at him from her stance, her fingers twitching in rage. He looked up with a dark grin, licking his lips.

"You _do _taste good."

"Okay, you know what?" She put her hands on her hips, trying to appear tough but the alcohol in her system still made her wobbly. "Your little crush on me was cute at first, but that was way too far, Kol. Even for you."

He narrowed his eyes in contempt. "Don't flatter yourself, darling. Kol Mikaelson does not crush. You're just a form of entertainment when I'm bored."

Suddenly a hand wrapped around his throat and dragged him to his feet whilst up against the door. Blue eyes pierced through his skull.

"You're making it increasingly easier to want to kill you," Klaus snarled.

Kol laughed, letting his head fall back into the door with a thud. "Stop making dramatic threats and just do it already."

Elijah raised his chin, his face stolid. "Kol, you're taking your anger out on the wrong people. I'm the one you're mad at."

"Oh, will we ever hear the end of Elijah's moral dilemma?" His gaze switched back to Klaus. "Please, Nik. Kill me and end the torture!"

"Not until you apologize to my girlfriend."

"_Girlfriend_!?" he laughed, hoarsely. "I miss all the good stuff."

"Tell her you're sorry, or so help me I will make your continuing existence hell on Earth."

"Oh Nik. You already do that. Next threat, please."

Klaus opened his mouth but, from the corner of his eye, caught Caroline's finger raised.

"Can I just interrupt for one second to address the fact that you just called me your girlfriend?"

"Would you prefer a different title?"

"No, I just didn't know we were labeling it now."

Klaus dimpled, amusedly. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

Kol snickered. "The great Niklaus has finally been domesticated!"

"Shut up, Kol," they both chided.

"Elijah is a life wrecker, Rebekah is a whore, and Niklaus is a tamed little kitten. Now I singlehandedly have to carry on the legacy of, not only dashingly good looks, but of conniving, murderous, unstoppable vampire? The lot of you should be ashamed of yourselves! And what's more - "

But Kol was quickly cut off by a sharp snap of his neck. His body crumbled to the ground instantly. Klaus sneered down at his brother.

"What did you go and do that for?!" Rebekah whined.

"How else was I supposed to shut him up?!"

"Well you can't just leave him there until he comes to."

"Then you deal with him. I've had enough drunk Kol for one lifetime."

Sighing, Rebekah hooked her arms underneath Kol's armpits and began dragging him half-heartedly up the stairs.

Elijah shook his head. "This is all my fault."

"One more self-guilt trip out of you and you'll be joining him, Elijah," Klaus warned.

"He wouldn't be like this if I hadn't tried to play with him!"

"It's all _show_, Elijah!" Klaus laughed. "Can't you see he's just acting out for attention? In a week's time he'll be back to himself, doing the next ridiculous thing to make our lives miserable."

"No," Elijah disagreed, shaking his head. "I think this time is different."

Klaus groaned, loudly. "For pity's sake. Has the sanity completely left this family?"

"I'm thinking our welcome is officially worn out," Matt muttered to Elena, Jeremy nodding behind him.

Elena brought a hand to her face. "Maybe we _should_ go..."

"I wonder how Kol compares," Caroline mused, drunkenly.


	16. Chapter 16: Marry, Sex, Kill

**LenaC – **Kol + video games. I think Jeremy needs to introduce him to that. *makes mental note* "Yahtzee" I'm not sure about. Like "Sorry"/"Trouble", it's a little too boring of gameplay to work with. I checked out "Apples to Apples" in the store. Couldn't really gauge the gameplay from the box, maybe you can enlighten me? :)

**Joanne Brandon **– OMG you bought an iPhone and downloaded Temple Run because of me?! Lol I don't know whether to be flattered or feel terrible for corrupting your life choices! lol That's amazing. You're the greatest. Love.

**SageStonexox**– I believe I reassured you in PM about Bonnie and Kol, but just to restate, No, no, no, did I mention NO? ;) I have other ideas for a potential interest for Kol...

**storylover3 **– lol Nope, Kol's not ending up with Bonnie.

**ScreamingMeemies** – If any of this wound up in the scripts, I think I'd die. My friend thinks if I ever met Nate, I should ask him to be an airplane for me like Kol did in Charades. lol

* * *

_It's Sunday. Game Night's Friday. I officially suck. No, no. Don't accept my apology. I am unacceptable. *stands shrouded in shame*_

_Erm...I don't know what happened here. The game kind of slipped...out of existence. ____I will be the first to say that this chapter is so not my best Game Night work, so I understand if you guys are all mehhh about it. I mean, don't get me wrong. I love a lot of it, it's just - to me - not as humorous or gamey as my usual aesthetic. But i_t's Kol's fault! Well, okay, not really. I got carried away with a certain...special appearance. Forgive me? *Klaus puppy eyes*

* * *

Week 15

Early Friday evening, the Mikaelson mansion was buzzing with an eerie silence. Of course Game Night was still on the rise, most likely to be sans Kol once again, but more important matters were taking precedence. At present, Klaus and Elijah were lingering in Rebekah's doorway watching her primp for her date with the Mystic Falls Timberwolves' star quarterback. Catching their fascinated stares in the reflection of the mirror as she'd started to put on her makeup, she finally got fed up. She slammed the blush brush down and kept her palms pressed on the vanity, glaring at them through the mirror.

"Why are you two standing there watching me?"

"Because we have nothing better to do," Klaus answered simply.

"Actually," Elijah began to smirk. "Klaus wanted to be sure you were appropriately attired for your date with Matt tonight."

Klaus folded his arms to lean against the door panel, scowling. "She's our baby sister. Can I help it if I'm protective?"

"You've never been before," Rebekah pointed out, applying her mascara. When she finished she turned around with a touched smile. "Are you concerned Matt may actually like me?"

"Not as concerned as I am that you'll eat him if he doesn't," he grinned snidely, waltzing into her room to lounge on her bed. Elijah followed soon after.

She rolled her eyes, scoffing. "Why don't you two go bother Kol?"

"He's locked in his room," Elijah frowned, pushing aside one of the pink fringed throw pillows.

"So break down the door," she spread her hands flagrantly.

"I don't want to badger him, Rebekah," he said firmly. "After last week's display, he needs to come back on his own terms, not mine."

"Noble," Klaus remarked, playing with the paws of one of her stuffed animals. "Stupid. But noble."

"What else can I do, Klaus? You're the one who said it was all for show. Am I supposed to just give in every time?"

"Of course not," he sat back up. "I think you're doing the right thing."

"He hasn't been out of his room in days," Rebekah reasoned. "How do we know he's even fed?"

"We don't," Klaus shrugged, tossing the stuffed bunny back on the bed.

Elijah tittered. "That's not exactly brotherly."

"If he wants to be suicidal, that's his prerogative, Elijah. You can't save everyone."

Elijah rolled his eyes. "I do not save everyone."

Klaus raised his eyes to his brother skeptically, a tiny smile creeping over the corners of his mouth.

"All right, I save those important to me, but that doesn't give me a complex."

Klaus laughed. "Who said anything about a complex?"

"Somebody's guilty," Rebekah taunted.

A loud thumping suddenly erupted through the walls. It was continuous and almost rhythmic. All three Originals peeked out the door and down the hallway where the sound was presumably coming from.

"Well, at least you know he's alive," Klaus said in assurance.

Without another word, Elijah disappeared to find out what the ruckus was. Rebekah flicked her gaze to Klaus who was analyzing her poorly stocked bookshelf.

"You're not even curious?"

"It's Kol," he said plainly, as if that answered everything.

Eager to see what was happening, Rebekah left him to follow Elijah. She found him halfway down the hall, stopped.

"What's the matter, Elijah?" she quietly taunted as she approached. "Afraid he might try to kill you again?"

He glanced back at her over his shoulder. "I'm afraid that what we find inside that room won't be Kol."

"Well that's cryptic."

"Combine the loss of his prized possession with the possibility that he hasn't fed in a week. How much sanity do you think will be left?"

Rebekah blinked, finally understanding his concern. Together they tiptoed the rest of the way, following the drumming with caution. It had momentarily stopped when they did, and just as they reached the closed door to Kol's room, another round of beats stunned them both.

"Should we knock?" Elijah asked, stalling.

"He could hear us coming," she rolled her eyes, swinging the door inward. Her hand flew to her mouth in shock.

"Good God..." Elijah muttered, breathlessly.

It took a few seconds for his eyes to register the scene but his sense of smell figured it out right away. Blood. _A lot _of blood. Apparently, over the week, Kol had amassed a collection of corpses. At least ten half naked female bodies were strewn about, covered in old bite marks and dried blood. Trails of their blood spattered the walls, some of it brighter in spots than others, which meant it had been freshly spilled not too long ago. But Kol himself was clean as a whistle.

He was sitting Indian style on the bed, shirtless, with a thick blue paisley headband around his head and a set of bongo drums between his thighs. As he drummed to a rhythm in his head, his eyes remained closed and he swayed.

"What did you do?" Rebekah's voice quivered.

"Be at peace, baby sister," Kol said calmly over the drums. His voice was airy and sweeter than his normal cheeky tone. "They all went as they wished - in their sleep."

Elijah was horrorstruck. "Kol, what have you done?"

But Kol just continued banging the bongos in response. Elijah looked around at the masses of bodies, trying to fathom it.

"How...when?"

"Ask the right questions, brother. Look inside yourself, and you'll find the answers within."

"Oh, bloody hell, Elijah!" Rebekah slapped his shoulder with the back of her hand. "You've turned him into a hippie!"

"Whoa," Kol paused his beating, squeezing his eyes shut. "Bring it down, sister. You'll ruin the tranquility."

Elijah glanced again at the mangled bodies. "You call this tranquil, Kol? A feeding binge?"

Kol stilled his hands, his face firm. "I've found peace. I've done some soul searching and this is my place in the transcendental cycle of life. Everything led up to this moment of self-discovery. I'm riding the waves of the ocean of peace, now." He tilted his head and smiled thoughtfully. "If you like, you could join me. "

"Nik!" Rebekah called. "Get over here!"

In a flash of movement, Klaus was at the door behind them sighing in annoyance. "What do you _need_, Rebekah?"

"Reinforcement. Our brother's gone mental."

"More than usual?"

She stepped aside allowing him to see into the room. Klaus raised his eyebrows.

"That's a lot of bodies."

"Yes," she nodded sarcastically. "A bit higher than your usual body count."

He braved walking all the way into the room to look Kol in the eyes. Kol stared back, questioningly at first but then winced as if it pained him to look at his brother.

"Your aura is extremely dark," Kol told him, closing his eyes and beginning to sway. "I'm getting major rage vibes. You need to let loose once in a while, Nik. Relax. Let your mind be free and be happy."

Klaus grabbed his brother's chin forcefully and Kol's eyes snapped open in surprise. Klaus nodded, affirmatively.

"He's blood drunk," he concluded.

Kol slammed his hands on the bongos. "I am not!"

Klaus smirked, his point proven. Kol frowned, realizing his mistake. He regained his mellow composure.

"I'm...trying to find my chi!"

He began to bang on his bongos again, somewhat more defiantly. Klaus began to step over the bodies, making his way back to his siblings in the doorway. He turned back halfway and Kol stopped what he was doing to glare angrily.

"Clean this mess up, then clean _yourself _up and come downstairs for Game Night."

"No can do," Kol declined, his airy voice back in action. "I'm resorted to my bubble of happy, surrounded by the blood of those who sacrificed for me to find my inner peace."

Klaus rolled his shoulders, his temper on a very short fuse. "If you do not make an appearance downstairs in one hour, I will drag you limb by limb until you are in inner _pieces_. Do I make myself clear?"

Kol raised dark eyes to his brother, his lips curled in a snarl and went back to the bongos again. Paying Rebekah and Elijah's dumbstruck expressions no mind at all, Klaus exited the room. Kol began to bang a beat on the bongos to echo Klaus' footsteps as he stomped down the stairs.

* * *

Leaving Kol to his business, Elijah escorted Rebekah downstairs to see her off with Matt. He arrived with Elena, killing two birds with one stone - dropping her off for Game Night and picking up his date. After he and Rebekah left, Elijah began to forewarn Elena of his little brother's new persona and they settled in the Great Room with Klaus to wait and see if Kol would show up.

"So, he just _killed _ten innocent women?" Elena was asking.

"Were you born oblivious or do you actually try at it?" Klaus grumbled.

She rolled her eyes, ignoring Klaus. "How did he even manage to get them in without any of you seeing?"

"No one has really been paying Kol much mind since last week," Elijah told her. "I don't know how to help him anymore."

She shook her head, sympathetically. "You can't help someone who doesn't want to help themselves."

"Actually," Klaus perked up. "I've called in a little favor." On cue, there was a rapping at the door. "And there she is."

As he got up to answer it, the door opened by itself and a very determined blonde baby vampire walked through to the archway of the Great Room.

"It's okay," Caroline huffed dramatically. "I brought back up."

The front door slammed and Bonnie emerged with a very "let's get this over with" look. "Where is he?" she demanded with a disenchanted tone.

Klaus smiled in amusement. "In his room. Brief warning – it may be a bit _messy _in there."

Elena and Elijah glanced at each other, totally confused as Bonnie nodded and headed straight upstairs. Caroline's hands were proudly on her hips when Klaus gripped her waist.

"I don't think we got to say hello," he grinned, pulling her close.

"Hi," she greeted with a big smile, wrapping her arms around his neck.

He planted his lips on hers, possessively capturing every inch of her mouth with his. Their tongues intertwined as the kiss heated. Forgetting their audience, Caroline drew away from his lips and began planting kisses all around his neck. Klaus moaned in enjoyment but was quick to ease back when her teeth began to graze his skin.

"Easy around the neck, love," he teased.

She pulled back, restraining a laugh. "Seriously?"

"After last week's attack I think I'm allowed a bit of reservation."

She lowered her head shamefully against his shoulder with a groan. "I apologized for that like a million times already!"

"I know," he dimpled. "And I thoroughly enjoyed seeing you grovel."

Her head jerked up and she thwacked him in the chest then left him to join Elijah and Elena. Beaming at his hellcat, Klaus joined them in sitting and the four began to discuss which game to play. Only minutes later, Bonnie made her return, Kol quietly in tow. Caroline sat up, in shock.

"What did you _say_?!"

"Nothing," Bonnie raised her shoulders. "I didn't have to say anything."

"Wow," Caroline laugh-scoffed. "Talk about wrapped around your finger..."

Bonnie shot her a scornful glare. Kol, in the meantime, had taken up residency in his usual armchair, setting his bongos in his lap. He still had the blue bandana band around his head but he'd added a t-shirt to his pajama bottomed ensemble.

"Are you going to stay and play, Bonnie?" Elena asked, trying to break the tension between her two friends.

"Uh..." she rubbed her shoulder uncomfortably and glanced in Kol's direction. "I don't know."

"Oh come on," Caroline rolled her eyes. "You already slept with him. It can't get much worse."

"I _what_!?" Bonnie stared at Kol incredulously as he chuckled quietly. "You told them we had _sex_!?"

"I may have exaggerated the truth," he admitted, his snarky Kol grin breaking the surface.

"Oh my god. You guys, I did _not _sleep with Kol!" Bonnie cried. "That's just disgusting!"

"Hey now..." Kol frowned. "No need to give my ego a blow, darling."

"Why would you guys even _think _that low of me?!"

"You did make out with him," Elena pointed out.

"Because I was _drunk!"_

"So wait," Caroline peered at her through squinted eyes. "You guys _didn't _sleep together?"

"No!" Bonnie practically screamed. "I wouldn't touch him if my life depended on it!"

"Unless there was tequila involved," Klaus quietly teased.

Caroline whipped her head around and smacked his chest in reproach. Bonnie narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head in disgust then turned on her heel and stalked out, making for the front door. As Caroline began to scold Klaus in whisper, Elena got up to rush after Bonnie. Just as Bonnie swung the front door open, a familiar unfriendly face smiled at her, maliciously. Bonnie's eyes went wide as Katherine Pierce gazed slyly at the witch.

"Where's the party?"

* * *

Stiletto heels clacked on the wood tarnish as the night's unexpected guest breezed through the foyer. Intending to search for Elena, Elijah nearly bumped into Katherine in the conjoining archway.

"Katerina..." he breathed, eyes widening.

She smiled coquettishly, giving him the once over. "You're looking good, Elijah."

"Well, well," Klaus meandered to the doorway, jaw clenching. "Daddy's little kitten has finally come home."

She pursed her lips in a smile. "Beware. Just had my claws sharpened."

"What are you doing here?" Elijah asked.

"What?" she shrugged gracefully. "Can't an old flame visit the ashes of her past?"

Klaus narrowed his eyes. "Can the poetics, sweetheart. It didn't help you then, it won't help you now."

"Who said I needed help?"

"Come now, Katerina. You and I both know you're not naïve enough to believe you could walk into my home and expect to live through the night."

"Honestly, Klaus. Don't you ever move on?" She brushed past him and her eyes lit up when she caught sight of the vampire sitting on the couch. "Well if it isn't my progidy." Caroline's eyes widened in fear at the sight of her Sire. "And what on earth could _you_ be doing at the Mikaelson mansion? Not still a damsel, are you? I'd hoped you'd outgrown that."

"Unlike you, I got an invite," she responded, coolly.

"You've also got a nice little chip on your shoulder. I can fix that if you like," she took a threatening step forward.

"Enough, Katerina," Elijah scolded. "Why are you here?"

"It's a game night, right? I'm just here to play games," she flashed him an innocent smile. "No harm, no foul?"

Caroline scoffed. "Somehow, I highly doubt that."

"Who told you about Game Night?" Elijah's eyebrows had furrowed in confusion.

Klaus waved his hand blatantly. "Who does she always go back to when she's in town, Elijah?"

Elijah's shoulders fell and he blinked in disappointment. "Stefan."

"When he told me how much fun it was, I just couldn't resist coming to see for myself."

"I'm still waiting for you to give me a reason not to kill you," Klaus smirked sarcastically.

"Again with the death threats?" Caroline chided. "Seriously. Don't you ever get tired of it?"

"Not right now, Caroline," he warned through gritted teeth.

"If not now, then when? How many times do I tell you, not _everything _needs to be solved with killing!"

Katherine suddenly cast a staggered sideways glance at Klaus, smiling from ear to ear in revelation. "Looks like I've missed a lot," she drawled playfully, falling into the empty armchair opposite of Kol. "So who's gonna fill me in?"

"Not I, said the cat," Kol said wittily, beginning to rap-a-tap on his bongos again.

Katherine's brow lowered and she pointed toward him. "What is _that?"  
_

"_That _would be Kol," Elijah told her in a sigh, sitting back down on the couch as far away from her as he could get. "The youngest male of the Mikaelson clan."

She gave Kol one last unimpressed glance, noting the bongos and bandana. "He's eccentric."

The front door opened and closed with a frustrated slam, echoing through the mansion. In a few seconds, Elena returned, heaving a sigh. "Bonnie left."

"Obviously because of _her_," Caroline said, shooting Katherine a death glare.

A thundering beating rampaged through the air, accompanied by a low moaning and it was all coming from the direction of a certain armchair. Kol's head was thrown back, his eyes shut as he furiously beat the hyde of the drums.

"We must cleanse the atmosphere of negative energy at once!" he announced. His head snapped forward, eyes open, and he stopped beating at once. "Now let us all join hands and let our spirits intertwine so they may dance merrily!"

While he held his hands out expectantly, the entire room of vampires was gaping awkwardly. Elijah scratched his temple with one finger.

"There is no way I did _that," _he denied.

"What is he _on?" _Caroline grimaced.

"Blood," Klaus rose from his seat. "A week's worth, at least."

"And _that's _the side effect?" Caroline registered it all. "Remind me never to go on a blood binge..."

"Actually it can be quite uplifting," Kol begged to differ. "I've never been more clear-headed. Colors are brighter and they mesh, harmonizing with one another in glee. And sounds..." He began to pound the bongos yet again, loud and unrelenting. "The sounds, Caroline! Such _beautiful _sounds this world has!"

Katherine shook her head as it fell against her wrist. "If someone doesn't get me a drink right now, I'm going to stake something."

Klaus blurred across the room toward Kol, swiping the bongos from his grasp and holding them hostage.

Kol looked up at him, blankly. "You want to play my bongos, Nik?"

"Kol, I know your only option is to ride this high out, but isn't there a less..." He pressed his lips together, searching for the word. "..._annoying _way you could conduct yourself?"

"This is who I am, now, Nik," Kol spread his arms wide. In a blur of speed, he got up and grabbed his bongos back, then returned to his seat. "You may not choose to accept my true being but you have to respect it. It's the only way to maintain the balance."

Katherine's eyes narrowed and she huffed in frustration. "So what game are we playing?"

Elijah ran his tongue over his teeth, suffocating from the tension of being stuck in the same room with Elena, Katherine, _and _a looney Kol. "We haven't decided."

"I know a fun one. Marry, Sex, Stake?" she proposed. "Or in Elena's case, _kill."_

"I _actually _know that one," Caroline shook her head, perplexed.

"Well then by all means, love, enlighten us," Klaus gestured, sitting back down.

She sat up, fluffing her hair. "Okay so basically, one person gives you a choice of three people. And of those you have to choose which one you'd marry, which one you'd sleep with, and which one you'd kill."

"What if you don't want to kill or sleep with any of the choices?" Elijah inquired.

"Well that's what makes it fun. No matter what, you have to choose one for each. It _can _get a little...squeamy."

Elena shook her head. "Why do I feel like this is some sort of a trap?"

"Don't be a party pooper, Elena," Katherine crooned, a devious glint in her eyes. "I'll even go first, so _you _can pick. Of the following, who would you marry, have sex with, and stake: Damon and Stefan."

Elena rolled her eyes, shifting uncomfortably. "Aren't there supposed to be three choices?"

"Fine," Katherine mimicked her eye roll. She paused to think then threw up a careless hand. "Klaus."

Elena blanched. "You're asking if I would marry, kill or sleep with _Klaus?"_

"Shouldn't be a hard choice," she shot her a cheshire grin.

Elena sighed. "I guess I would kill Klaus," she said, shooting him a quick apologetic look, but he was past caring. "I would marry...well..." Her eyebrows knit and her jaw hung open in deep contemplation.

"Tick – tock," Katherine taunted playfully.

"This is stupid," Caroline gestured to Elena. "She doesn't even like either of them anymore. She's been dating Elijah for weeks!"

"Caroline!" Elena hissed.

Katherine sat up then, intrigued by the news. "Is that so?" Her eyes shifted to Elijah then. "Old habits die hard, huh, Elijah?"

"Your chi is all wrong," Kol unexpectedly broke the tension, still rapping lightly on his drums. He peered at her, his face all screwed up. "Something about you is evil."

Katherine snorted. "And who are you to judge?"

He abruptly stopped beating his bongos, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "Kol Mikaelson," he informed her. "But my spirit name is Rod Running Man."

Caroline snickered in her corner of the couch. Ignoring her, Katherine cocked her head at Kol, intrigued. "Why haven't I seen you before?"

"Perhaps you weren't looking in the right places," he raised a suggestive eyebrow.

Smiling, Katherine leaned forth to lower her voice. "Or maybe you're not worth looking for."

"Ouch, darling," he put his palm to his chest. "That was my heart."

Her face twisted into an odd grin. "They say pain is pleasure."

Kol's zen began to fade as he grinned more like himself. "Are you flirting with me, love?"

Katherine leaned back, laughing. "Believe me, if I was flirting you'd know it."

"You know, women who say that tend to always be flirting in the first place," he pointed out. "Why try to cover it up with a lame excuse?"

Her lips unintentionally twitched upward with intrigue. Elijah glanced back and forth between the two, disapproving of where the banter was heading, completely unaware of Klaus watching him.

"All right, Elijah?" he playfully teased his brother.

Elijah shot him a condescending look and Klaus backed down, knowing this was an awkward position for him to be in. And, as per usual, Kol was finding a way to make it even less bearable. Except this time, it was possible he didn't actually realize it...

Katherine let her head fall to the opposite side. "We're still waiting, Elena."

Elena cleared her throat with a gallic shrug of a defeat. "I'd marry Stefan and sleep with Damon."

Katherine's eyebrows lifted briefly. "And the legacy lives on."

"Caroline," Elena turned to her friend, trying to lighten the situation. "Your choices are Matt, Tyler, and Damon."

"Seriously?" Caroline snorted. She straightened up and flipped her hair back, arrogantly. "I would marry Matt, sleep with Tyler, and 1000% kill Damon."

"Now why couldn't you be that decisive with me?" Klaus poked fun.

Caroline flashed him a diabolical smile. "Okay. I just decided you won't be getting any tonight. That decisive enough for you, sweetie?"

Klaus' eyebrows lowered, eyes darkening beneath them. "That's some sort of change from every other night?"

Both Katherine and Kol "oohed" at his jab. Even Elena and Elijah had made low incoherent sounds of surprise. Caroline's tolerance level was completely diminished.

"You _really _want to continue discussing our personal life out loud, Klaus? Because I'll go there."

"Don't tempt me, love."

"Maybe I'll just go sleep in Elijah's room tonight. At least I know the outcome would be _measurable_."

Elena's jaw dropped and Elijah had to lower his head to hide his shock. Katherine and Kol were on the edges of their seats. Kol had begun a light suspenseful rhythm on his drums for ambiance.

Klaus' nostrils flared in anger. "Keep digging yourself deeper, Caroline."

She held his gaze a moment longer, daring him to do something but he just stood his ground visually. Finally, Caroline receded, turning away from him and folding her arms in a childish huff.

"How anticlimactic," Kol sat back in his seat.

Katherine sniggered. "I'd say I bet the sex is electrifying, but clearly..."

Elena just shook her head, still stunned. "It's your turn, Care."

Caroline rolled her eyes, then smiled sweetly at Elijah. "Elijah: Marilyn Monroe, Marie Antoinette, and Lady Godiva."

Elijah laughed. "You could not have picked a more diverse set."

She beamed. "Well that's the point!'

"Well. Let's see," he sighed, rubbing his chin. "Marie was irrefutably the biggest handful. I wouldn't hesitate to kill her. I think, I'd have to marry Godiva purely because of her ambitions. Which inevitably leaves Marilyn for the last slot." He nodded, affirming his decision. "That was a good one, Caroline."

She smiled, proudly then snuck a glance at Klaus to see if he noticed her moment of glory. He looked like he wanted to say something to commend her, and she waited for it, but he kept his mouth shut, letting his eyes fall downward. Caroline blinked away her disappointment as Katherine rolled her eyes, scoffing at the pair.

"You two are worse than Lifetime."

A one-two-three bang sounded from Kol's bongos, as if she'd said the punchline to some joke. When she glared at him, he just smiled.

Elijah cleared his throat, getting back to the game. "All right. For Elena: Clark Kent, Bruce Wayne..." He tossed a dismissive hand. "And...James Bond."

"Ohmigod, I'd so have sex with James Bond!" Caroline gushed.

Elena laughed. "I thought this was supposed to be my turn?"

"I'm just saying...Super spy moves? Yes, please!"

"What's with the superhero fetish, Elijah?" Katherine crooned questioningly. "I wouldn't have pegged you as one for heroics."

He tilted his head at her, his eyes cooling. "You mean before or after I saved you from becoming my brother's sacrificial scapegoat?"

She sniffed out a laugh. "Well played."

"I know what you're trying to do, Katerina. And it's not going to work."

"I'm just playing the game," she said coyly.

"You play it well," Kol complimented her.

"Okay. This is getting, like, creepy awkward," Caroline intervened. "Can we just play and not get wrapped up in stupid feuds?"

"You're one to talk about feuds, love," Klaus muttered.

She turned her head to glare, sucking in her lower lip defiantly. "Fine," she let loose her grip on her lip. "All is forgiven. No more feuding."

"Speak for yourself," Katherine groused.

Elijah's pensive eyes lingered cautiously on hers while he spoke. "Kol: Caroline, Bonnie and Katherine."

Kol considered his options for a moment, then answered, "I couldn't sleep with someone before killing them, could I?"

"Isn't that what you did with your collection upstairs?" Klaus sneered.

Kol smirked, secretively. "A gentleman should never kiss and tell, Nik."

"Kol would probably sleep with _himself_ if he could," Caroline muttered gruffly, still not forgiving him for mouth raping her last week.

"Oh I do, every night. Sometimes more than once a night," he said, matter-of-factly. "Those are the best five minutes of my day."

"More than we needed to know, Kol," Elijah muttered.

He sat up straight again, putting back on his serene bravado. "Spiritually speaking, I would marry Buddha, give my body and soul to the sun, and kill off all of the dark energy that lingers in my chakra."

Klaus groaned. "Kol. You can cut it out now. We know it's an act."

"Your negative vibe is really harshing my mellow, Nik."

"In about two seconds, I'm about to harsh something else."

"Make love, brother, not war," he beamed, playfully.

"Is this _really _happening?" Katherine drawled.

"Well, who's to say what's _real_, darling?" Kol quipped. "Life is what you make it. Eternal happiness is grasped by those who find it within."

She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, was he dropped on his head before he was turned or what?"

"We think there may have been a few complications in his turning process," Elijah joked.

The sound of drumming suddenly interrupted. Kol was back to banging furiously on his bongos. When he'd directed everyone's attention, he stopped.

"If I may? I have one for Elijah," Kol grinned evilly. "A Petrova lineup. Tatia, Katherine, and Elena."

Caroline leaned into Klaus' ear and quietly whispered, "He's baaack..."

Klaus glanced sideways at her with a smirk, raising a finger to tap his nose. They sat back to watch. Katherine, too, listened up eagerly.

Elijah shifted uncomfortably, silently cursing Kol. "Well I..." He glanced nervously at Elena. Her smiling eyes reassured him. "I would undoubtedly marry Elena. But I guess...by default I would have to sleep with Katherine."

Katherine wore a contemptuous grin, batting boastful eyelashes at her doppleganger counterpart. Taking the bait, Elena turned sharply toward Elijah, fuming.

"You would sleep with _Katherine_?"

"I just thought since Tatia isn't - " he stammered.

"After everything she's done to me and my friends? And you and your brother?" she laughed bitterly. "Elijah she's a cold hearted bitch and you know that."

"Excuse me?" Katherine tried to cut in defensively.

"Elena, it's just a game. It doesn't _mean _- "

"Why would you want to sleep with her?!"

"Please," he groveled. "Let me explain."

"No, actually, I don't want to hear it."

"I do," Katherine happily chimed in. "Then again, I already know why. Unlike you, Princess Prude, I know how to make a man happy. And all these years of experience give me an upper hand. Anything you could give him would never match what he could get from me."

"Katerina, please don't help me," Elijah sighed, pleadingly.

"Nobody asked for your opinion," Caroline glowered. "Elena makes Elijah happy, and so does he. Just because _you _can't deal with that - "

"I'm sorry," Katherine's eyes narrowed, impatiently. "Do you _always _have to throw your two judgmental cents in?"

Caroline gasped in insult. She looked up at Klaus, expectantly. He glanced down at her, bemused.

"You want me to fight your fights for you, love?"

"No, but a little defense would be nice!"

"She's been on my hit list for centuries. What more defense do you need than me wanting to kill her?"

"So why _haven't _you?" Katherine leered at him. "What's stopping you?" She bowed her head to the left, letting her eyes slide to Elijah.

Klaus opened his mouth to make a remark but caught a warning look from Caroline out of the corner of his eye. His back stiffened as he yielded to the hope in her eyes, and he balled his fists against his knees.

"I think it's time you left, Katerina."

Katherine threw her head back in a silent laugh. When she met his gaze again, it was full of humor. "Interesting. Niklaus the all powerful hybrid is now lap dog to a baby vamp."

"Okay, you know what? I've had just about enough of you," Caroline finally snapped, rising to her feet in a threatening stance.

"Caroline, what are you doing?" Klaus tried to tug her shirt to seat her again.

"I've got this." She pushed his hand away, never letting her determination falter. "Nobody wants you here, Katherine. You're a mean, cold-hearted miserable bitch. And you know that saying about misery loving company."

Katherine sped inhumanly fast so that she was just inches from Caroline's face. "You don't want to pick a fight with me, honey. I _made _you. I could easily break you."

"Go ahead. Try," Caroline grinned cruelly. "You'll be dead before you even laid a finger on me."

"That's right," Katherine nodded. "You never could fight your own battles. You're a pathetic excuse for a vampire."

Her anger past the point of no return, Caroline's fist immediately collided with Katherine's face. Katherine stumbled back a few steps. When she raised her head, the look in her eyes was not a friendly one.

"You're going to wish you never did that, Blondie." Katherine zoomed forward and threw her over the couch and into the wall with a growl. "Little bitch!"

Caroline got to her feet and lunged after Katherine. She pounced on her, ripping at her hair as her fangs extended. They rolled around in vampiric flashes of speed, pulling hair, scratching and clawing at one another, their faces veiny and fuming. At Elijah's direction, Elena remained as far away from the fight, endangered by being the only human. He and Klaus were both on their feet, prepared to pull the girls apart, but for some reason became strangely fascinated in watching them wrestle. Kol had abandoned his bongos to stand beside his brothers and look upon the girlfight.

"This is officially the best day of my life."

Klaus briefly glimpsed his little brother. "Welcome back."

"We should stop them." Elijah said, not too convincingly.

"Maybe in another minute," Klaus said. "I think Caroline is winning."

"I feel there's a lack of mud or jello or some sort of thick, messy substance," Kol said.

"Pudding," Elijah and Klaus nodded in unison.

Kol rubbed his hands together in preparation. "Gentlemen, I'm going in."

He jumped into the brawl and embraced the wrestling females in a lopsided group hug. He held them together using his centuries old strength to overpower their struggles.

"Make love, ladies, not war!" he shouted over their grunts.

"Go to hell," Kathrine spat.

"Get – off – me – Kol!" Caroline gasped out, asphyxiated by his weight.

"Call a truce and I'l set you both free," he negotiated.

They both glared at him, then at each other, and begrudgingly agreed to the terms. Kol lifted up and Caroline wriggled out from his grasp, retreating to Elena's open arms. Just as Katherine was about to get up, Kol rolled back over, straddling her waist and pressing her arms above her head so that she was pinned to the floor.

"And just where do you think _you're _going?" he smirked down at her.

She stared up at him from beneath long lashes. "I should've known better than to trust another Mikaelson."

"Yes. You should have. But I'll forgive you for the mishap." He scrunched his nose playfully. "Just this once." He settled in against her. "There now, this is cosy."

"You're really not going to get off of me?"

"And ruin my master plan?" He shook his head with a cheeky smile. "Sorry, darling."

Katherine let out a short amused laugh. "What even makes you think I'm interested?"

Kol pouted his lower lip in a deliberating smile. "What makes you think I care?"

She used her speed to flip him over and straddle him, and he let her. "You have no idea what you're getting into."

He nestled his head into the wood floor, beaming up at her mischievously. "Neither do you, darling."

Klaus and Elijah, meanwhile, looked on with a peculiar intrigue.

"Looks like our brother has finally found himself a new interest."

"Not his wisest idea, considering your promise of killing her," Elijah sullenly pointed out.

Klaus hummed. "Actually, I think Kol might be a fate worse than death."

"I think you may be right."


	17. Chapter 17: Reindeer Games

**Carelesslove91** – Hmm. _Sorry Revenge_. I shall have to look into it! TY!

**angelvasilis1997**- I told you I would! Though I had a million different ways to do it in my head but that was what came out. Oh, and Koltherine FTW!

**Create-Write-Inspire**– I like awkward. :) And I don't like Kol with anyone, honestly, but Katherine just kind of happened. I had no control over it.

**XXFallingSlowlyXx**– I know, Katherine's afraid in the show. But, well, this is my version of a crack story so anything goes. :)

**Katherine Storm**– Please tell me you actually did pull a Kol and go all Buddha on your friends? Hahaha that's amazing. A Koltherine romance MAY be on the rise, but I can't say for sure yet... ;)

**MEOW**– You are fantastic and thank you for all of the great things you said. But really, I just have to thank all my readers because you all really make it worthwhile to keep going. I've battled through a lot of frustrations with this story but you guys all keep me coming back. But really, your review warmed my heart. :D

**chasing after stars**– I will NOT just skip to the end of your reviews! Lol They're too amusing to do that. Thank you for appreciating my sense of humor and my OCD tendency to need to keep the characters IN character. That's the biggest thing I strive for, though I go off a little with this story because it's a crack story so... But 5/5? Shucks. :)

**Myley **– lolol I HATE the idea of Bonnie/Kol. The Caroline obsession is just for fun, he doesn't really fancy her. But I'm intrigued by the Katherine/Kol thing as much as he is so I can't vouch for that as much... lmao Matt or Jeremy!? Even if I could see Kol being down with it, cause I could, I couldn't picture Matt or Jeremy with a guy. Sorry!

**JaggerMania** – YOU ARE GOLDEN. I heart you so much. And omggg you're making me choose for MFK!? I have to marry Klaus just so I could screw him all day, e'rr day. :P I guess...*sigh* You're killing me with having to kill one of them you know. Honestly, I have a sick fantasy about Kol, so I'd have to F Kol and sadly kill Lijah. I hate you now. Your turn! Same trio, who would you pick?  
**  
Okey Dokey**– Your favorite on the site?! Let me love you. I never really got into the Kol/Caroline dynamic but I could see the interest there. I do enjoy a nice Kol/Jeremy bromance. Too bad they shattered that dream on the show, eh? But thank you for the sweet words!

**TTCyclone** – Not crazy about the Scene It thing, but I already started writing some scenes for Hide N Seek. Shh! :P

_GUYS! Stop making me blush with all the flattery and love. (But don't really.)  
If my heart or head get any bigger I'mma look like a freak! But but...it's okay. Lady Gaga said I was born this way, right Kol? :P_

_Seriously though, you guys are the jelly to my nutty peanut butter crazy. And I love you all. Truly._

* * *

_Welcome one and all to the Family Game Night Holiday Special!_

_Brace yourselves. This is going to be a crazy ride... =)_

**HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD [GAME] NIGHT! **

* * *

Week 16

_Twas three days before Christmas, and all through the Originals' house,  
__not a creature was stirring – not even Klaus.  
__No stockings were hung, for none of them cared.  
__The holidays, they agreed, were for the morally impaired.  
__Three Originals were settled all snug in the Great Room,  
__while visions of Game Night started to loom.  
__Sipping on wine, Klaus sketched in his pad  
__while Elijah and Rebekah discussed the fun to be had.  
__When out on the stoop there arose such a clatter.  
__Klaus sprang from his seat to see what was the matter.  
__Away to the foyer, he zoomed in a flash,  
__And tore open the front door to find his Caroline abashed.  
__She'd just dropped a box that was too top heavy to hold  
__And Klaus stared in wonder at the round things that rolled.  
__Surely she wasn't planning something obscenely absurd,  
__For the Originals celebrating Christmas was greatly unheard! ...Of._

"Care to tell me what all of this is, love?" Klaus asked as he bent to help her begin to pick up all the trimmings.

She looked up at him, frustratedly blowing her hair out of her face. "What does it look like? Christmas decorations."

"I was afraid of that..."

Caroline stopped, instantly. "Don't _tell me_ you guys don't celebrate Christmas!"

"All right." He handed her an ornament, eyeing it with distaste. "I won't."

"Are you _kidding _me?!"

As he opened his mouth to spew justifications, Elena walked up, smiling in greeting. He glowered at another box of Christmassy décor in her arms as she brushed abruptly past them to go inside. Behind her, two more masculine figures walked up holding separate ends of a decent sized pine tree.

"Apparently, you already knew," he gestured to the approaching guests.

"What's up?" Jeremy nodded to him.

Klaus narrowed his eyes at the casual greeting. The little Gilbert turned sideways as he tackled the stairs to terrace, then stopped as he waited for Matt to situate himself on his end.

"Okay," Matt huffed. "Where do you guys want this bad boy?"

Caroline turned to Klaus with bright eyes. "What do you think? Foyer or Great Room?"

"Trees belong _outside_, Caroline."

"Klaus, it's a _Christmas _tree," she said, as if that gave her the grounds. She shook her head in disbelief, hands flying to her hips. "Guys, bring it into the foyer for now. Elena should be getting the stand ready. And do NOT let it hit the walls and bend the branches. It took forever to find the perfect one!"

"Cool it, Care. We got it," Matt assured her, following Jeremy through the doorway.

"You know, I would love to have some input in the redecorating of _my own _home," Klaus snapped, angrily.

Caroline raised a had to her head, annoyed. "Just...stop being a Scrooge, okay?"

She walked into the house, leaving him on the stoop to glare at her back.

"Humbug," he whispered spitefully to the wind before reentering the mansion.

As soon as he walked back in, he wished he hadn't. Angels and snowflakes and sprigs of holly filled his eyes as the contents of the two boxes were slowly being sorted. Klaus excused himself to refill his glass of wine in order to take on this holiday experiment. By the time he returned, he found the tree had been successfully erected in the corner of the room near the fireplace. Elijah was helping Elena to clean the pine needles around the base while Rebekah and Matt reacquainted themselves on the couch, leaving Jeremy to fight with the strings of lights.

"Uh...a little help here, guys?"

"Plug 'em in," Matt offered from the couch, his arm wrapped firmly around Rebekah's shoulders.

"What's that supposed to do?"

The quarterback shrugged. "Help you see them better? I don't know."

"A lot of help you are," Rebekah taunted.

"I don't see _you_ getting up to help," he shot back with a grin.

"Why would I get up when I'm nice and comfortable right here?"

Klaus' eyes flicked up at the pair, warily, as he flopped into the leather cushions of the opposite couch. He momentarily let his gaze slip to the commotion around the tree and even found the corners of his mouth twitching at the tangled mess Jeremy had gotten himself into. Elena finally left Elijah's side to help her brother, nearly getting knocked over by him in the process. The thought alone brought on a full fledged smile.

"I saw that," a light voice whispered from behind him.

He looked up, alarmed and the smile dissipated. Caroline rounded the couch from where she had been lingering behind, and took a seat beside him. Klaus shifted in his seat, regaining his broody composure.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he denied.

She groaned, settling in against his side to join him in watching over the lighting of the tree. "You don't have to like it, but at least admit it. There's just the _tiniest_ bit of Christmas spirit in you."

He glanced down at her wide, hopeful eyes and brought his glass to his lips, taking a large spiteful gulp of the wine in response. She rolled her eyes, until her attention was suddenly redirected.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Caroline cried, stopping Elena and Elijah from starting the ornaments. "You can't just _put _ornaments on randomly. You have to strategically place them otherwise you risk throwing the whole motif off-balance." She shook her head, leaning over to whisper to Klaus before getting up, "Do I have to do _everything_ myself?"

He watched her proudly as she reverted back to boss mode, another smile slipping out. That was his girl...

After about an hour of Caroline's directing of careful placement, the tree was fully decorated, just missing the star on top. Klaus spent the entirety of it brooding, drawing dark ominous pictures in his sketchbook. Caroline walked over to him, attempting once more to raise his spirits.

"Klaus," she started sweetly. "Do you want to put the star on top?"

But he refused to answer and continued blackening the perverse image on the paper. Tired of his sulking, she ripped the pad from his grasp and held it away, with wide challenging eyes. He glared up at her, threateningly.

"Get up," she told him.

"Caroline, don't test me."

"Get up and put the star on top of the tree or you won't get your book of emo drawings back."

Calling her bluff, he flashed in front of her and tore the sketchbook from her hand. She stared in appall.

He cocked his head in defiance. "You were saying?"

But a sly smile spread over her lips as she crossed her arms victoriously. "Got you up."

Klaus' lips parted as he realized her cunning. He couldn't help but smile, her deception triggering a slight arousal. Batting her eyelashes in an effort to appear harmless, she held the star out to him. His frustration was exhaled through his nose as he gave in and took the golden tree topper from her. Once it was in place, the group collectively stopped to admire the Christmas tree they'd created.

"Shalom, all!" a voice broke the silence.

Everyone turned around expecting to find Kol attached to the voice – and he was - but of course he'd brought his humorously dramatic flair. He was walking in donning a long white scarf with blue inscriptions and an yamaka on his head.

"Oh great," Rebekah muttered. "He's converted to Judaism."

"Mazle tov, my friends," he greeted solemnly. "The tree looks beautiful."

Elijah shook his head. "Kol, what are you doing?"

"More like what are you _wearing..." _Caroline added.

"I'm celebrating."

And with that, he walked over to the mantle and placed the golden menorah he'd been holding upon it. He turned around with a wide smile.

"Happy Chanukah everyone!"

Matt laughed. "This is a joke, right?"

"Why would I joke about Chanukah? Did _your _people suffer for eight days?"

"No. Just birthed the savior. No big."

"Well, all right then."

They all watched him walk across the room, taking his usual seat in the armchair, but he sat cross legged, hands folded neatly in his lap. An odd sight, if there ever was one.

"So what game are we playing on this lovely Festival of Lights?"

"Kol, you're being ridiculous." Rebekah narrowed her eyes, chagrined. "We're celebrating _Christmas_."

He nodded calmly. "I'm aware."

"Since when are you even Jewish?" Elena asked, staring perplexedly.

"He's not," Elijah assured her.

"How about Dreidle?!" And magically, he pulled out three of the toys from his pocket.

Matt eyed them with confusion. "And how exactly are we supposed to play if we can't read the symbols?"

"Don't worry about it. I've studied Hebrew. I can translate."

Now Klaus was shaking his head. "When – Correction. _How_ on Earth did you study Hebrew?"

He shrugged. "Rosetta Stone."

Jeremy snickered in his seat. "I thought Chanukah ended five days ago?"

Before Kol could respond, there was a tentative knocking at the door. Eager to have an excuse to flee, Klaus went to answer it, neglecting to notice Caroline on his tail. When he opened the door, the even more unexpected happened.

"Bonnie!" Caroline shrieked, pushing through Klaus to hug her friend. "You came!"

Bonnie hugged her friend back, letting out a defeated sigh. "You kind of gave me no choice."

"That's not true," Caroline pulled away with an adamant stare. "I said if you didn't want to, you didn't have to."

Bonnie gave her a curt nod. "And then went right into giving me a total guilt trip..."

Klaus cleared his throat, stepping off to the side to let them both in the foyer, proceeding to close the door after them. Bonnie turned around, facing him with a tiny, charitable smile.

"Merry Christmas Klaus," she said, as amicably as possible.

His face momentarily tightened, eyes closing before he looked back at her with a similarly small smile. "Merry Christmas, Bonnie."

She held up two bottles of rum. "For the egg nog," she explained.

"Bonnie Bennett, I _love _you!" Caroline squealed with excitement.

She rushed over to take the bottles from her then vanished into the kitchen. Together the hybrid and the witch walked into the Great Room and immediately Bonnie was bombarded with hugs and greetings from her friends. When they were all settled, she took a seat beside Jeremy.

"So what made you decide to come?" Klaus asked, reclaiming his seat on the opposing couch.

"It's the holidays," she shrugged. "You're supposed to spend it with the ones you love. And since the ones I love are here with you..."

"Can't beat them, join them," Klaus nodded. "Very sensible."

"Or stupid," she retorted, saving herself with a teasing smile. "I'll let you know at the end of the night."

"Well _I'm_ glad you're here," Jeremy told her, grinning stupidly at his ex.

"Thanks, Jer."

"Me too!" Kol chimed in. "In fact I think I still have some leftover tequila..."

She glared at him. "Don't even think about it."

He smirked, a sparkle of mischief in his eye. "Too late."

Bonnie shifted uncomfortably under the weight of Kol's gaze as he undressed her with his eyes. Rebekah kicked his leg in her defense and he flinched.

"Stop it, Kol," she scolded.

He sighed, easing back in his seat. "How about some Christmas carols to liven the mood?"

Klaus leaned forth. "I thought you were Jewish?"

He waved a hand, shrugging off his scarf and tossing his yamaka into the fire. "I'm unconverting."

"Interesting," Klaus uttered, quietly. "The witch appears and the facades end."

Kol rolled his eyes. "Stop reading into everything, Nik. Now, as I was saying, I am fully prepared to serenade you all to keep the holiday spirits high."

"Please don't," Elena cringed.

He grinned, clearly not averse to giving into his instincts of going against the general consensus. He straightened his posture and spread his arms out, commanding attention.

"Everyone, please! Prepare yourselves for the slightly tweaked but infinitely better stylings of Kol's Christmas Carols!"

"I'm getting some eggnog," Elena muttered, exiting the room.

"For my first set, a new rendition of "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus." Kol cleared his throat, warming himself up.

"_IIIII saw Niklaus kiss-ing Carrrr-oline  
__underneath the mistletoe, Game Night...  
__They didn't see me on my own  
__sneaking a picture on my phone.  
__They thought that I was playing Temple Run in my room all alone.  
__But I saw Niklaus feel up Carrrr-oline  
__underneath her skimpy blouse, Game Niiiight!  
__Oh what a laugh it would have been  
__if that Lockwolf had walked in,  
__when I saw Niklaus feel up Caroline on Game Night!_"

At the precise moment that he began to bow, Caroline walked in with a tray filled with several festively appliqued wine glasses of eggnog.

"You're hilarious. Really," she said sarcastically, divvying out the beverages.

"Is that the best you've got, Kol?" Klaus tutted.

"Oh, I'm just getting warmed up, brother! The night is young, the egg nog is bountiful. And..." He pulled out and unfolded a green hat from his back pocket, adjusting it to his head. Three green leaves dangled from a long twig at the top, overcasting his forehead. "There's mistletoe."

Caroline's eyes dulled as she sat. "A mistletoe hat? Really?"

"And you know the rules..." He creeped toward her, puckering his lips.

"Oh no," she held her arms out in front of her defensively. "No way. You stay away from me with that hat!"

"You know you want to taste these lips again, darling!"

She shoved his face away with a grimace. "Don't make me hurl you into a door again, Kol!"

"Ah. Save your attack mode for Nik." She stared, cautiously and he all too happily clarified. "We all know you have a biting fetish when it comes to my brother."

She groaned, flashing back. "Can't anyone just forget about that?!"

"Well, if you'd prefer we could move onto the topic of how you and your doppleganger friend walked in on my _other_ brother in the buff," he offered, sitting back down with a cheeky grin.

Elijah stiffened while Caroline and Elena exchanged a stunned look. It was Elena who asked.

"How did you find out about that!?"

He made a face, spreading his hands out. "Darling, I'm Kol Mikaelson. I know everything." He sat up. "And about the family resemblance - "

"Stop!" Caroline spoke over him, loudly. "It's Game Night! Let's play a game!"

She got up immediately and began rummaging through the two boxes while everyone basked in the uncomfortable silence.

"Y...eah," Jeremy shuddered. "I just heard way too much about stuff I definitely didn't want to know about."

Rebekah smiled at him, lazily. "Welcome to my life."

"Pin the Nose on Rudolph!" Caroline cried, holding up a thin box.

"You actually bought that?" Elena laughed.

"It's cute!" Caroline reasoned, rejoining the group. "It's festive, _and _it's a game. Win, win, win."

"No offense, Care, but that's kind of a baby game," Matt said.

"Well, hold on," Kol halted her as he got up. "We could liven it up a bit."

Caroline peered at him. "How?"

"Instead of using the boring old paper reindeer, we designate a player to be Rudolph."

"And pin it on their actual nose?" she laughed.

He nodded. "Exactly."

Grinning, she agreed to the idea and toasted her glass of eggnog to him. The two clanked before taking a sip to seal the deal.

"But who's going to be Rudolph?" Bonnie wondered aloud.

They all glanced at one another until, eventually, all eyes landed on one particular individual. Klaus looked up at all of them from beneath his lowered brow.

"What makes you all think the very idea of that is a possibility?"

Caroline flounced her shoulders, gruffly. "Okay. You need a serious attitude adjustment. And this game is the perfect solution."

"You're delusional, love."

"No, I'm buzzed."

"Already?" Matt snickered. "Lightweight."

She pointed a finger at him. "Shut up." Her gaze reverted to Klaus, but he was avoiding eye contact. "Please, Klaus? For me?"

Jeremy, Matt, and Kol all looked at each other and began a mixture of bobbing their heads and batting eyelashes and putting a hand to their heart in mockery of the blonde. Klaus caught them all with a dark glare and they stopped, then set his sights back on Caroline.

"You're pushing it."

"Oh this is _so _not pushing it," she argued. "If you think one little game is going too far, then let me tell you, Klaus Mikaelson, you have _no idea _what the definition of "pushing it" even means. _And _ - "

"Fine!" he agreed. "If it'll quiet you down, fine."

She pouted her lips, but accepted his consent. "Good."

* * *

Once a suitable blindfold was retrieved and the eggnog was refreshed, Klaus stood begrudgingly in the center of the room, awaiting his fate. As her alcohol intake increased, Caroline even braved trying to get him to wear the Reindeer antler headband she'd brought but he drew a line and wouldn't cross it. So naturally, the antlers wound up on _her _head.

The game finally began with Elena as the first person to be blindfolded. Elijah spun her a few times until she began to giggle from the dizziness, then let her go. She stumbled sideways, her hands out before her so she could feel around for Klaus. Going the wrong way, she walked directly towards Jeremy and pressed the "red nose" sticker on his forehead.

"Epic fail, sis," he laughed, catching her before she tripped over herself.

Elena lifted the blindfold, grinning. "Sorry, Jeremy."

Elijah went next. Unlike Elena, he started off in the right direction. He found Klaus' arms first and worked his way forward by that, then stuck the sticker where he assumed it should go.

Klaus nodded, amusedly. "And that would be my chest." He patted his brother's shoulder. "Nice try though."

Elijah laughed and relinquished the blindfold to Matt. The football star proved his coordination's worth as he effortlessly made it to Klaus, but the sticker somehow wound up on the hybrid's neck. Bonnie aimed a little too high, the "red nose" getting caught in his blonde curls. On his turn, Jeremy came closest with his sticker landing on Klaus' chin. Rebekah, however, was only slightly less off than Elena.

"That's my elbow, Rebekah," he confirmed, ending her turn. "How do you not even realize which body part is which?"

"Shut up, Nik. It's harder than it looks, okay?"

He only grinned and she threw the blindfold in his face in a huff. It was Kol's turn then, and he insisted on being spun countless more times than the others. His arms flailed wildly as he tried to find his way. When he did make it to his brother, though, his fingers prodded at Klaus' face and landed right into Klaus' left eye. The hybrid jumped back with a yelp.

"Kol!" he shouted, covering his wounded eye.

"It was accidentally on purpose!" he argued, slowly lifting the blindfold from one eye.

"I will end you!"

"Oh boo hoo," Rebekah teased. "You got poked in the eye. You big baby."

"Shut it, Rebekah," he growled.

"Is it my turn now?" Caroline asked, eagerly.

Blinking furiously as to regain his vision, Klaus stepped back into place while Caroline was being blindfolded and spun. Her intoxication adding fuel to the fire, she stumbled dizzily right into him. He caught her at the bends of her arms and she started blindly feeling her way around his body. Her hands lingered at the base of his groin, trying to decipher which way was up. He leaned down, brushing her ear with his lips.

"You're getting warmer," he whispered, teasingly.

She grinned, letting her hands travel up to his face and held it between her palms. Instead of putting the red sticker anywhere, she dropped it and pulled his face to hers to kiss him. He grunted in surprise, latching his arms around her. She reached up to take the blindfold off but he stopped her hand.

"Leave it," he moaned. And she did.

Just as he went in for another kiss, Rebekah's loud scoff stopped them both.

"This is a Game Night, not a makeout session!"

"Oh please," Caroline turned around, lifting the blindfold over her golden waves. "Like you two haven't made out before?"

They both stared at the blonde, doe-eyed and not playing it off very well. Caroline blinked, stunned.

"You haven't kissed?! Ohmigod, you _do _like each other! This is _so _cute!"

"Well this needs to be remedied," Kol decided with a firm pat against the arms of the chair.

"Don't pressure them," Elena reprimanded. "A first kiss is special. It should happen on its own."

"Oh please," Bonnie rolled her eyes. "The first time you kissed Elijah was in a game of Truth or Dare. How is _that _special?"

She reddened, glancing up at Elijah but he only shrugged helplessly. "She has a point..."

"It's just a kiss, Elena," Jeremy joined in the conversation.

"Uh, don't we get any say in this?" Matt finally interjected.

A figure suddenly loomed over them. Rebekah looked up, glaring at Kol holding his hat above them with an innocent grin.

"You know the rules..." he murmured.

Nervously, Rebekah glanced at Matt to gauge his reaction. His face mirrored her with nerves. He tried to give her a reassuring smile.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Rebekah."

She gaped at him, open-mouthed, unsure of what to do. "I..."

"Just kiss him!" Caroline urged.

"You know you want to," Bonnie agreed.

Rolling her eyes at the consistent supportive chants around her, Rebekah finally scoffed. "Oh, for crying out loud..."

With one hand, she grabbed the back of Matt's neck and pulled his lips to hers in a deep, sensual kiss. His hand slipped behind her hair as he drew her to him and intensified the kiss with a bit of force. After a moment, they finally began drawing back with a few little nibbles until they were finally separated, quietly catching their breath, gazing at one another with a heated passion.

Fixating his hat back onto his head, Kol stood up proudly. "My work here is done."

* * *

Once the party had calmed down with the taunting of Rebekah and Matt, more and more eggnog was consumed. By the time the prospect of a second game was on the rise, Caroline was well past drunk and Kol wasn't too far behind. He was humming the tune to "Frosty the Snowman" until he got an inspired idea. He kept humming until the refrain of the song circled back and words began to slip out...

_"E-lijah Mikaelson was a horndog, so you see, when Elena said let's go to bed he followed like a puppy_."

Elena sighed and Elijah looked up, wearily. "Really?"

Kol raised a finger and began to compose an invisible orchestra, smiling widely as he continued singing, "_There must have been some magic in those tailored suits he wore, 'cause when Elena saw him she stripped naked like a whore!"_

"That's enough Kol..."

_"Oh, E-lijah Mikaelson was as happy as could be! With his doppleganger who let him bang her, and go down on_ - "

"KOL!" he roared, flying to his feet.

The younger Original sucked his lips inward, smirking innocently. After a pause, Elijah tentatively sat back down and Kol took an enormously deep breath.

_"Ohhh, humpity hump hump. Humpity hump hump. Look at Lijah go!"_

"Kol, I'm warning you."

_"Humpity hump hump. Humpity hump hump. On top of Elena - Oh!"_

"That's it.."

He grabbed the silver letter opener from the end table and lunged after his brother with inhuman speed. Kol dodged him, causing Elijah to slice air.

"You're supposed to be a jolly snowman!" Kol cried out over his shoulder, proceeding to run sideways right into Klaus reentering the room.

Klaus gripped his brother's shoulders while holding Kol's back against his chest. Elijah stopped before them, an evil grin upon his lips.

"Going to hold him still for me?"

"Nik," Kol looked up worriedly. "You're not going to let him hurt me, are you Nik? It's Christmas!"

"Christmas is still three days away," Elijah reminded him, taking a step forward.

Kol's eyes widened. "The blasphemy of my own flesh and blood..."

In an impressive display of speed, Klaus tossed Kol aside, then gripped Elijah's wrist iron-tight and forced the letter opener from his grasp.

"Where's your Christmas spirit, mate?" Klaus taunted, snidely.

Elijah glared. "You're choosing Kol over me?"

"I'm choosing peace above bloodshed."

Elena snickered. "That's a first."

Klaus peered around his brother at her. "Don't make me change my mind, doppleganger."

"Mmm..no! No vi'lence during holidays, boys," Caroline managed to get out, though not as resolutely as she thought."That's the Forbes rule!"

"Caroline, sit down," Elena chided.

"I'm still waiting for a game," Bonnie shrugged.

"Yeah," Matt nodded. "This _is _a Game Night..."

"How 'bout Candy Canes?" Caroline offered from the couch, trying not to appear as drunk as she was. "S'like _Spoons_, but with a holiday...um...thingy."

"Oh I will destroy you at Spoons," Jeremy boasted.

"Bring it baby Gilbert!" she shot back with a goofy grin.

Bonnie peered through narrowed eyes. "How do you play?"

"It's pretty easy," Jeremy said, perking up to explain. "All right, so, everyone gets four cards, right? The goal is to be the first person to get four of a kind. When you do, you take a candy cane from the middle of the table. But you wanna be discreet 'cause as soon as someone picks one up, everyone else has to try to get one as quick as they can. Then whoever doesn't have one gets a letter of the word SPOON, or, in this case, CANDY. If you get all five letters, you're out."

"And how do we get four of a kind exactly?" Klaus inquired, sitting back down with Caroline.

"Well everyone picks one card from their hand and passes it to the person to their left, until someone gets four of the same number."

"Why not make it interesting?" Kol blurted out from his drunken stupor. As all eyes turned on him, a devilish grin snuck across his face. "For every letter of CANDY you get, you have to remove an article of clothing."

Caroline pointed to him, her arm swaying drunkenly. "Love it!"

"Caroline, no." Elena stopped her. "You're drunk."

"Ugh," she rolled her eyes. "Elena, stop being such a buzz kill..."

"I'm in," Bonnie said suddenly.

Elena's head whipped around in surprise. "Don't tell me you're drunk too."

"Not yet. But it's Christmas," she laughed. "Anything goes."

"See?!" Caroline implored. "Live a little, 'lena."

She shook her head with a laugh. "Fine, but don't tell me I didn't try to stop you when you're sober."

Caroline waved her away dismissively. "Who else?"

"Strip Candy Canes," Matt nodded. "I'm definitely game."

"Brute!" Rebekah scolded. "You want to strip in front of everyone?!"

He leaned forward, cocking his head at her smugly. "Who said I was gonna lose?"

She pursed her lips, flashing him a flirty gaze. "Fine. Keep me from losing and I'll play too."

"No problem," he winked at her.

"All right, you're on," Jeremy challenged his buddy. "If you think you can beat the King."

"So it's settled," Kol clapped. "Strip Candy Canes! Elijah, provisions?"

"I don't even know what we need," he argued.

"We have one, two, three...nine players," Jeremy counted. "So eight candy canes. And a deck of cards."

Elijah nodded and got up to dig through the box of holiday goodies while Kol pulled a deck of cards from the drawer in the end table beside his chair. Jeremy scooted forward, eagerly taking up the role of dealer.

"We'll just use from Aces to 9s," he muttered to himself as he sorted through the deck until there were four of a kind for each number from Ace to 9. He put the remaining cards aside and began to deal.

For a few silent minutes, the vampires and humans toyed with learning to play and sneaking peeks at each other's hands before they actually swapped cards. Once the flow picked up, they all got serious. A resounding crunch stirred the group and they all looked toward the sound. Matt stopped chewing, unaware of what'd happened.

"We're not supposed to eat them?"

Suddenly the rush to grab a candy cane was on and everyone except Caroline, who was drunkenly oblivious, managed to snag one. She glanced around at everyone laughing at her and her shoulders slumped.

"Oh come on! I'm drunk. I should get a free pass!""

"You wanted to strip," Elena teased.

"Take it off, Ms. Cock," Kol smirked, reinstating his old nickname for her.

"You guys suck," she grumbled, unzipping her boots.

"Bow chicka wow wow," Kol shimmied his shoulders.

She tossed the boots off to the side, starting what would constitute as the pile for lost clothing. All of the candy canes – including Matt's bitten one – returned to the table and Jeremy shuffled then dealt the cards again. While the swap went around the table, Kol held Rebekah up by not letting go of his card.

"Don't be an ass, Kol," she sneered.

He shrugged, nonchalantly. "Take it." She tried to pull it with more force but he wouldn't let it budge. A smile slowly crept up. "Don't you want my card, Rebekah?"

"Well if you would only let go of it!" She tugged once, twice, three times until her anger got the better of her. "Come _on, _Kol. Just give me the card!"

But his fingers latched onto the edge of the card, impervious to Rebekah's strength, no matter how hard she tried.

"Give – me – the card – Kol," she said through gritted teeth.

"I'm handing it to you," he laughed, enjoying her torment.

"Kol!"

Jeremy suddenly grabbed a candy cane from the table and the rest of the company followed suit.

"Here you go," Kol finally let go of the card and grabbed the last remaining candy cane.

"Perfect. That's just great," she groused, glancing back and forth between Caroline's boots and her bare feet. "I'm not even wearing shoes. So what then?"

Matt grinned, dimpling as he bumped her shoulder. "It's up to you. Shirt or pants."

She gave him a dull look. "Well so much for your help."

In one graceful movement, she had removed her blouse and tossed it over Caroline's boots, baring an intricate red laced bra and a mass of milky flesh. Both Matt and Jeremy took in an eyeful. She did a double take before catching them staring, and glowered at both of them.

"Stop it!" she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jeremy's head jerked up and his cheeks turned pink. Matt snuck his arm around Rebekah's shoulders, trying to ease her mind.

"I think you look hot," he whispered to her.

She shot him a half-hearted sideways glance, but snuggled into his embrace. On the opposite end of the couch, Kol decided to try his luck with a certain Bennett witch. He snuck his way over to the arm, and sat down, letting himself lean somewhat over her. Bonnie looked up instinctively and rolled her eyes.

"Kol, get away from me."

"Ah, ah." He pointed upward. "There's mistletoe afoot. You know the rules, darling."

"I'm not kissing you!"

"You did once before."

"I was drunk. You got lucky."

"Don't pretend you didn't like it. You said yourself I was a master in the art of kissing."

"I'm pretty sure I didn't."

He scrunched his nose. "I'm paraphrasing."

"Well I'm not kissing you ever again."

"Are you sure I can't persuade you?" he leaned closer.

"I'll leave. I swear."

"But..._baby it's cold outside_," he began to sing softly.

"Oh god..."

Saving the day, Caroline swooped in and stole the hat from his head with a giggle. His hands flew to his head too late and he looked up in shock.

"How dare you!"

"Finders keepers," she stuck her tongue out, stumbling back towards the couch. She plopped into Klaus' lap and put the stolen mistletoe hat on his head. His eyes traveled up spying the rim of green on his head. "You know the rules," she murmured seductively, leaning in close.

He smirked. "If you wanted to kiss me, love, you didn't need the mistletoe."

"Good." She tossed the hat to the wind and sank into him as they kissed passionately.

"Why does it always work for Caroline?" Kol pouted.

* * *

The game picked back up following the brief mistletoe intermission and after quite a few rounds, Klaus, Elena, and Matt were all shirtless and shoeless. Bonnie opted to take off her shirt first, as opposed to her shoes, so she had only lost one round. Caroline, on the other hand, was down to only her undergarments. She had found her way into Klaus' lap – her designated drunk spot – and was beginning to forget all about the game.

Jeremy remained fully clothed, reinforcing his self-proclaimed status as "King", but Kol gave him a run for his money, so far only having to take off his shoes. But after the last few rounds, the spiked eggnog took over his consciousness and he started to _try _to lose just so he could join the half-naked fun. He'd purposely forfeited his belt and shirt, whereas Rebekah was currently refusing to remove her bra as she had once again lost the round and had nothing but her panties and bra to give up.

"You can all stop harassing me, it's _not _going to happen."

Kol chuckled. "Don't act like you've never been naked before, Bekah."

"Unlike you, Kol, I don't go around showing off my assets in public!"

"Unlike _me? _I think you've confused me with Elijah, darling."

Elijah, who was down to his black boxer briefs, looked up with a scowl. Caroline snapped out of her Klaus-induced ardor to giggle at the joke.

"He has every right to show off!" she threw in her two drunken cents.

"That's a tad emasculating whilst in _my _lap, love," Klaus whispered.

"Trust me, you do _not _have to worry," she grinned, vixen-like, letting her lower body grind against him.

He inhaled sharply, reacting to her movements with a slight squirm. He squeezed her shoulder in warning. "Caroline..."

"Hey Care?" Bonnie called from across the way, a firm undertone to her voice. Caroline looked over, innocently. "Save it for the bedroom."

Caroline sucked in her lower lip between her teeth and turned back to Klaus with a frown, her face pink with shame. When she turned her head, she spied a tense heat between Elena and Elijah as he began to caress her thigh while they were eyeing each other. She reached out to point to them, capturing their attention.

"That goes for you too, y'know!" she slurred.

Elena just laughed it off, shaking her head at her friend. Jeremy idly shuffled the card as he looked around at the near nudity of the room versus his fully clothed status.

"Guess I kinda won this game, huh?"

Kol hummed in accord. And then, with a glimpse of the room's current standing, he began to sing again. "_Breasts and nuts roasting in an open fire..._"

Elijah sighed. "Don't even, Kol."

"Spoilsport."


	18. Chapter 18: Uno Attack!

**Lily Knighte**- You are fantastic. You pulled a Kol on your friends. lol I'd shake your hand if I could. Hell, I'll do it anyway! *shakes hand*

**angelvasilis1997**- lol He is perfect. I recently noticed his nose too, actually. It's all cute and buttony. :P

**LadyKlaus**- Bug me on twitter, bug me on tumblr, bug me anywhere! I really don't mind it. And I'm sorry that this took so long! Please don't hate me!

**JaggerMania**- Really? Damon, Klaus and Stefan? No brainer. Marry Klaus, Fuck Stefan, Kill Damon. I mean really, if I killed Stefan or Klaus how would I get Klefan feels?! (haha, that sounds dirty...) Okay, your turn! Matt, Jeremy, Tyler! I love that we're playing games in our review/author notes. Ironically fitting to the story too. :P

**ofirhey8**- lol You said episode. Hehe. Okay okay. Yes, I do want to do another chapter soon of just the Originals again. I thought it would be a nice way to actually conclude this story with just a regular family game night...but let me not utter the word conclude because I'll be mauled.

**BecMcKeown**- LOL! Your mother wants to read my story!? Sure, more the merrier. Hi mom! Hide and Seek MAY happen. I did chuckle over thinking about Musical Chairs but I think that might just be a gag game if I even do it at all, not a chapter game. Don't know what the others you mentioned are?

**Lisios** - Aww. You're too kind. Thanks. :) What is "Countdown"? I need more things for Kol to annoy people with!

* * *

_AARUUGGHH. Okay. Sorry, I just had to let out the frustrated sigh in a garble of letters first before I rant for a sec..._

_You guys, I am eternally sorry for the rest of my life. This was not the week the chapter was supposed to go up, I'm aware. And moreso, I'm aware it's even past the weekend. And I feel absolutely terrible about it. It's been killing me that I haven't been able to write, and I've seen it's killing some of you too. Some have drifted over to Tumblr and Twitter to ask me where the chapter was - AND I LOVE YOU FOR IT, NEVER THINK IT'S BADGERING ME OR UPSETTING ME! *huggles everyone* I'm just in a mood because someone was so upset that they claimed they're going to unfollow me now because I took too long. If you follow me on Tumblr, you can see a lengthier rant on this, but honestly, this is my most time consuming story because they are the longest chapters. Between 14 - 16 pages on MS Word for each chapter. I used to be better at getting them done in a timely fashion but I think as the game list begins to dwindle, and I haven't played most of the ones that are now left, it gets hard to keep up. But I am trying! I am working on it, I promise._

_I am by no means ABANDONING this story. It's got the biggest following and there's such love from the fanbase here that I could never leave you guys hanging without an explanation. You know that. Believe me when I tell you I love you guys and your love of my writing. I fear that *gulp* it may be coming to a close soon (but not too soon), but I will always let you know if something happens, if I can't do it, so on and so forth. So. I just wanted to get that out of my system._

_Onward to the long awaited chapter! I hope you enjoy.. :)_

* * *

Week 17

A loud, incessant knocking on the door of Klaus' bedroom beat in tandem with the pounding against his head.

"Just a second, Rebekah," he groaned, dialing Caroline's number once again.

Rebekah walked briskly into the room and Klaus looked up in annoyance. She shrugged in a halfhearted apology.

"You said a second, I waited a second."

"What do you want?" he asked, hanging the phone up again.

"Are you coming down for Game Night or what?"

"Yes, now leave."

Scoffing, Rebekah turned on her heel to leave but was stopped by the copious amounts of hair gel, mousse and hairspray bottles sitting on his dresser. She glanced at Klaus, gesturing with a confused point of her finger.

"Since when do you use so many hair products? I thought you said your natural curl was curl enough?"

He ignored her, typing a message on his phone. Rebekah sauntered over, casually reading over his shoulder. He looked up, glaring.

"Do you mind?"

"No."

A message alert went off but before he could look down to read it, Rebekah grabbed the phone from him with a grin and sped to the opposite side of the room.

"Rebekah!" he thundered, getting to his feet. "I will tear you limb from limb!"

Her eyes scanned the message before tossing the phone back at him. "Here, you big baby. She's not coming, so stop badgering her."

His face fell completely as he sat down to read the message. Rebekah engrossed herself in browsing the haircare bottles more closely. She picked up one with a pink label and read it aloud.

"Strawberries & Cream Leave-In Conditioner. Please tell me this is not for Caroline's benefit, Nik."

He frustratedly tucked his phone in his back pocket with anguish. "It's not."

"So you don't want to explain your sudden need for..."_pumped up volume and radiant shine_"?"

He grabbed the bottle from her and put it back with the others. "It's an experiment."

She raised an eyebrow, evaluating his golden curls. "It's not working."

Klaus grabbed her arm and led her out of his room, slamming the door behind her. She scowled at the door, stomping her feet childishly as she ventured back downstairs. Upon walking into the kitchen, she was met instantaneously with a cocktail glass filled with a dark pink liquid. An eager brunette deviant was hiding behind it.

"Drink this," Kol urged.

"What is it?"

"It's alcohol. Now drink."

She narrowed her eyes. "I meant what's in it?"

"Drink and find out!"

She took it from him, eyeing it with distrust. "What are you playing at, Kol?"

He rolled his eyes. "Can't a brother make his only sister a drink?"

"Not without an ulterior motive," she muttered, but took a small hesitant sip. "Mmm. This is actually pretty good."

"Yes. It is." He rounded the center island, opposite of where Elijah was sitting, and started tossing things into the blender again.

"Did you try it yet, Elijah?" Rebekah asked.

He nodded. "I had a taste, yes."

After hitting the button on the blender, Kol leaned over the island as if it were a bar and he the tender. "You know, I've heard that Rachael Ray is a very talented cook but her drink recipes are pretty keen."

"What is this, Kol?"

"A Pomegranate Sangrita," he said, accenting the word properly. He scooped up the dish towel and threw it over his shoulder, embracing his new persona. "One part orange, one part pomegranate, a bit of lime and a dash of cayenne pepper all mixed with a hefty amount of tequila." Rebekah nodded, continuously sipping her drink. "It's fairly easy to make, and I think I have a knack for it."

Elijah patted his back. "See what you can accomplish without Temple Run running your life?"

Kol pressed his lips into a thin wry smile. "Indeed."

He poured another glass and held it out to Elijah. Elijah smiled, taking the drink from his brother's grasp. Kol watched his two siblings savor his concoction when the third one finally made his appearance on the scene.

Rebekah shoved her drink in his face. "Try this, Nik. Kol made it."

He lifted an eyebrow. "Kol did?" She nodded, bringing it back to her lips for another sip. "No thank you."

He walked around her, heading for the refrigerator. Kol spread his arms, dropping the dishtowel and flattening his palms into the marble granite of the island countertop.

"What's the matter, Nik? Afraid I can't make a good drink?"

"More like afraid it might be laced with arsenic," he said, leaning over to rummage through the fridge.

Both Elijah and Rebekah looked up at each other, then over to Kol. He shot them both a narrow look, shaking his head in disagreement.

"Even if it was poisoned, it wouldn't affect you."

"Thought that counts," Klaus smirked bitterly, rising up with a blood bag in his hand. He slammed the door closed and began hunting for a clean wine glass.

Kol lowered his head to one side. "What's got your panties in a twist?"

Klaus turned around, raising his eyebrows, with a glass in one hand and the bag in the other. "What? I'm in a fine mood. Just a little hungry."

Kol narrowed his eyes, suspiciously. "You and Caroline have a spat again?"

Rebekah looked up. "She's having a girl's night tonight with Elena and Bonnie and only _just _told him she wouldn't be participating in Game Night."

Klaus shrugged incredulously. "Is there no sanctity in this family?"

"No," all three answered.

"Kol, how much tequila did you use?" Elijah asked, his face scrunched from the bitterness of the alcohol.

He shrugged, innocently, hiding the nearly empty bottle from sight. "Enough."

"So what game is it tonight, Elijah?" Rebekah asked.

He downed the rest of his drink with a wince, placing the empty tumbler back on the counter to let Kol refill it. "Well, seeing as it's only us, I guess we'll do something low key."

"Just us?" Kol grimaced, topping off Elijah's glass. "That's boring."

"Well the girls are all preoccupied," Klaus grumbled. "Who do you propose inviting?"

Kol leaned his chin in his hands, beaming at Rebekah. "Where's Mattie Mustard?"

"He's hanging out with Jeremy and Tyler. Why?"

"Choosing his buddies over you?" He shook his head, standing upright again. "Bad form."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "It's not like we're official or anything, yet. Besides, I know how important it is for you all to have your 'guy time'."

"One – 'Guy Time' was created as a mechanism to escape overbearing women. And two – if he really liked you, he'd be here, wanting to spend more time with you, not less."

"So what are you trying to say? That I'm under appreciated or that I'm overbearing?"

"Both."

She grabbed the dishtowel and hurled it across the island at him. He ducked and it fell to the floor.

"Easy, sweetheart. You want more Sangritas, don't you?"

"Whatever, Kol. You don't know anything about relationships."

"I know enough to stay _out _of one."

"Only because no woman would be caught dead, or not, giving you the time of day," she snipped.

He filled a glass for himself, grinning. "Well. Not when the can give me the time of _night." _He winked and raised his glass to her before taking a sip.

The ding of an egg timer went off, startling them. Kol hummed into his cup and abruptly set it down, then walked over to the oven. He grabbed a mitt and pulled it open, bringing out a tray of assorted hors d'oeuvres, then going back for a second one.

Klaus scowled. "What are you, some kind of Susie Homemaker now?"

"No."

Rebekah eyed the platters. "What are they?"

"Mediterranean Meat Puffs and Spinach Cheddar Quiche," he announced, proudly, putting the second tray down on the island beside the first.

Klaus looked them over, eyeing the exquisite handiwork. "Okay. Who did you invite?"

Kol looked up in genuine surprise. "No one. This is for us."

"You're clearly trying to impress. Who's the mystery guest?"

"I'm surprised at you, Nik. Here I am slaving away in the kitchen to prepare a nice spread for my family and you have the audacity to think there's some kind of catch?"

A knock at the door was right on cue. Klaus nodded, triumphantly as Kol whisked away to answer it. His face dropped at the unexpected sight of the Salvatore brothers.

"You're not female _or _attractive. What gives?"

Damon smirked. "Word of the wise: Katherine _loves _to play hard to get."

"So she sent you in her stead?"

"Well, she sent _me._" He leaned forward, hiding his mouth with his hand. "I think Stefan just tagged along to see Klaus."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "I can hear you, Damon."

"Oops," he shrugged halfheartedly.

Kol rubbed his chin in thought while he curiously stared at the unbecoming grey cap Stefan was wearing. Stefan shifted, uncomfortably, avoiding any kind of eye contact.

"Interesting," Kol mumbled, sparing one last glance at the hat before he looked back to Damon. "She sent you, knowing that we hate each other?"

"Consider it her sadistic way of saying 'no' to your stupid offer of a date," Stefan told him, gruffly, as he walked past.

"Hey, nice hat, mate!" Kol called after him, glaring.

Damon sniffed the air as he entered. "What's that smell?"

Kol shut the door, completely dejected. He followed them sulkily to the Great Room where Elijah instantly got to his feet in a defensive stance. Damon rolled his eyes, raising his hands in surrender.

"Easy, slick. I'm here to make Kol's night hell, not yours."

He shot Kol a threatening smirk which was returned with a mockingly snooty scowl. Elijah's confidence faltered as a bout of confusion washed over him.

"Why should I trust you?"

Damon shrugged. "If you don't want to listen to me, you could always call Katherine and ask her. It was her idea."

"What did she give you to make you do this?" Kol inquired, curiously.

"Nothing she wasn't willing to part with," he taunted with a smirk. He walked briskly over to a stiffening Elijah, holding his hand out in a peace offering. "What do you say? Temporary truce for the night?"

Elijah eyed his hand with caution before shaking it. "Just to be clear, this doesn't excuse anything you've done to Elena or I."

Damon rolled his eyes over his shoulder toward his brother. "Hear that? Now they're an _Elena and I."_

Stefan smiled then set his sights on his hybrid BFF brooding in the corner of the couch. He sat beside him, slapping his knee in greeting.

"Long time no see, brother."

Klaus looked up, slightly off put. "Don't hit my leg."

He nodded. "And we're still pissy about Caroline not being here, I see."

Klaus glared at him, then bared his teeth in a cruel smile. "You know it's not polite to wear hats as a guest inside someone's house, Stefan."

"You're not someone, you're Klaus," he retorted, coolly.

"Take it off."

"No."

"I will make you remove it, Stefan."

Stefan's face melted with worry. "Klaus, don't."

Catching his gaze, Klaus leaned forward and watched the vampire's eyes dilate. "Take it off."

Sighing, Stefan took the baseball cap off his head, revealing a none too flattering head of deeply lackluster and flattened dirty blonde tufts.

"Holy hell!" Kol cried out. "What happened to _you?!"_

Stefan shifted uncomfortably, frowning at the floor.

Damon laughed, relishing in his little brother's misery. "Someone stole all his hair stuff."

Rebekah let out a loud gasp, her eyes flying to her older brother. Klaus stared daggers through her and she kept her mouth shut.

"That is _not _a good look for you," Kol shook his head.

"Not a good look indeed," Klaus agreed with a cocky grin.

Stefan glared at him. "I'll say this in words _you _would understand, Klaus – piss off."

"Well, just look at it this way, mate. At least none of the girls are here to see you in your unmodified state."

"Excuse me?" Rebekah objected.

"You know what I meant, love."

"Can we just get this night over with already?" Stefan sulked.

Damon eased back against the couch, folding his hands behind his head and lifting his feet up to the coffee table. "So what's on the Game Night roster tonight, boys?"

"Well, we were going to make an attempt at the game Uno," Elijah said. "But the only version I could find at the store includes this contraption...We'll have to wing it."

The contraption he'd referred to was a card launcher, and the game was Uno Attack. Kol disappeared into the kitchen while Elijah set it up, with the help of Rebekah and surprisingly Damon. They were the only ones in the room whose spirits weren't completely shot. By the time the game was ready to go, Kol had returned, carrying out the appetizer platters and more of his "signature" drinks.

"Meat Puffs and Quiche made by yours truly, accompanied by a delightful Pomegranate Sangrita cocktail," he announced, placing them all strategically around the table. "Enjoy!"

Stefan looked at it all, amused. "Did you do all this because you thought Katherine would show up?"

"What the hell made you think she'd be impressed by home cooking?" Damon grimaced. "She doesn't even eat human food."

Kol groaned, rolling his eyes skyward. "For the last time, I wasn't cooking for _her._ It's a therapeutic coping method, all right?!" They all looked at him, stunned. He cocked his head, wryly. "Would you prefer I get the bongos out again?"

Klaus let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "I'm sorry. A coping method? You need psychiatric help to deal with the loss of Temple Run?"

"He needs psychiatric help, regardless," Rebekah quipped.

"Oh sure, make fun of the handicapped," Kol brooded. "Very ethical."

"You're not handicapped!" she argued. "You're just a pain in the ass!"

"But I'm _your _pain in the ass," he winked.

"Can we just play the damn game?" Damon begged.

Elijah began passing cards out to each person, one at a time, until they all held seven. The remaining cards went into the Uno launcher and he placed one facing upward on the top to begin the discard pile.

"How do we play?" Rebekah asked.

Elijah fumbled to get the directions from the box on the floor and unfolded them to read. "The first card on top starts the game. You place down a card of either the same color or number, but if you don't have any that match, you have to press the button and take the card or cards that come out."

"Can I push the button?" Kol interrupted.

"No, Kol. Let me finish reading."

"Just one time and I swear it'll be out of my system."

"No, Kol."

"Please?!"

Elijah sighed. "_No, _Kol. You can push the button on your turn. Once the game has started. But if you don't listen and learn to how to play, you won't be able to."

Kol slumped back in his seat, crossing his arms and pouting. "Total. Killjoy."

"Now where was I...There are action cards, such as Skip – which skips over the next person's turn, Reverse – which reverses the cycle of gameplay, Wild Card – which lets you choose which color, Wild Hit-Fire, which - "

"Can I push it now?" Kol interrupted again, antsy and in distress.

"_No, _you may not push the button, Kol! Honestly, you're like a child..."

"And you're like a Daddy Lijah," he snapped.

Elijah slammed the directions on the table, rising to his feet to tower over his baby brother. "Say it again and they will be your last words."

"SIT down, Elijah," Klaus demanded. And he did. "Ignore him and finish reading."

Damon waved a hand carelessly. "Eh...we get the general gist of it. Let's just start."

"Fine," Elijah agreed, tightlipped.

The order of play began with Elijah, following with Klaus, Rebekah, and Stefan. As the launcher spun past him toward Damon, Kol found himself unable to repress his need and reached over to push the yellow button. Rebekah instantly swatted his hand away with a scowl.

"Kol, you only push the button when the rule applies," she reprimanded.

"This game sucks," he sulked.

Taking his turn, Damon put down a red Hit 2 card. "Here, Kol. Now you get to push the button _twice," _he widened his eyes for emphasis.

"_Finally_!"

His fingers danced in the air eagerly and he promptly pushed the button, signaling the launcher to let out a small beeping noise. Six cards instantly shot out at him. He jumped, eyes widening at the pile in his lap.

"Guys, I think it's broken."

Elijah snickered. "No, that's just how it works, Kol. Sometimes it gives you one, sometimes it gives you more than one."

"Blasphemy!"

Elijah put a card down again, reversing the order. Deciding to pretend to have no cards to play, Kol opted to push the button yet again. Four more cards flew his way. He chuckled, gathering them to add to his pile.

"Nice collection you got going there, Kol," Damon commented, placing a card down.

"Isn't it? And look. If I get hot, it doubles as a fan." He begins fanning himself, his eyes fluttering closed as he sighed in content. "Aah..."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Only you, Kol."

"You don't look too good yourself," Stefan nodded toward her growing hand.

"Lucky for me, I have a _Trade Hands _card," she smiled, waving it in the air. "And I want to trade hands with _you_, Stefan."

He looked up in surprise, stifling his smile. "You just want mine because I have the least amount of cards," he joked, reaching over to trade cards.

She grinned, holding onto her cards as he tugged. "Hmm, who knew beneath all that hair there was a brain?"

"Very funny." He ripped the cards from her hand and sat back, smirking at her.

The game went on for a few minutes until Damon reigned as the first winner. They set the launcher up again and dealt for a second round, taking a slight pause to enjoy Kol's drinks. As the second round of Uno Attack carried out, each time it was his turn, regardless of the rules, Kol pressed the button. Somehow his efforts were flawless and he never received a card.

"Kol, stop pushing the button!" Rebekah demanded.

"It's a button that I'm distinctly not supposed to push! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO RESIST THAT?!"

"I could break your fingers if you'd like," Damon offered.

Kol let out a huff of distress. "Your petty threats are adorable, Salvatore. Truly."

While no one was paying attention, he began to whistle while he turned the launcher around toward Damon. He slid his cheek against his palm as to appear inconspicuous while pressing the button continuously. One by one, single cards spat out. Damon was flabbergasted by the cards flying.

"Hey. Kol! Come on! I only need _one!_"

"Oops. Sorry," Kol smiled, giving the button one last push. An influx of cards shot out of the device, all landing in Damon's lap. "You're not doing a very good job at ruining my night, mate. Katerina won't be pleased."

Damon grabbed the pencil Elijah was keeping score with and sped over to Kol, jabbing it into his throat.

"Any more snarky remarks you want to make, Baby Mikaelson?"

Kol laughed, sputtering blood. He pulled the pencil out and looked at the bloodied tip in surprise.

"Just keeping you on your toes," he said, hoarsely. "Here you are, Elijah."

He handed the still bloody pencil back to Elijah. Elijah sighed, wiping pencil on his sleeve, shooting warning glares at Kol all the while.

"Enough hijinks, Kol. Why don't you go make up another batch of drinks?"

"Fine, fine." Kol rose, heaving a saddened sigh. "I know when I'm not wanted..."

* * *

By the time the drinks were all refreshed, Kol's neck was healed and a third round of Uno was on the rise. The cards had been dealt, but the players, however, were getting easily distracted. Rebekah and Elijah were cheers-ing to another Sangrita, Klaus was texting Caroline for the third time in the last ten minutes, Damon was toying with the pencil just waiting for Kol to tempt him, and Stefan was using his glass to stare woefully at his reflection. Kol was, shockingly, the only one entirely prepared to play, holding his hand of cards perfectly poised.

"Come on, come on," he pounded the table with his empty fist. "Let's get the show on the road. I'm feeling lucky."

"Kol, your obsession with pressing the button is your downfall," Klaus mumbled, still focused on responding to Caroline's message. "You will _never _win."

"Well not if we don't start the round."

Elijah cleared his throat, blinking a few times. "Okay. Okay. All right."

He rubbed his chin, staring at his cards before putting down a green 7. Klaus and Rebekah followed suit. Kol bounced eagerly in his chair, waiting for his turn. Damon put down a _Reverse_ card and Kol scoffed loudly.

"Really?"

"Anything to make your night worse, buddy," Damon winked at him.

Kol grumbled to himself, waiting for the game to come back around to him. When it did, Elijah put down a _Skip _card, skipping over Kol's turn.

"SERIOUSLY?!"

Klaus smiled as his own hand dwindled. "Patience is a virtue, baby brother."

"Right. If you believed that you wouldn't be a blubbering drunk every time Caroline said "not tonight, Nik!"," he teased, making his voice high and sweet in a mockery of his blond beau.

"_Don't _do that, Kol."

"Do what? Mock your little chia pet?"

Klaus growled. "Kol, I'm warning you."

Stefan cleared his throat, trying to ease the tension. "It's your turn, Kol."

Kol looked down, seeing the launcher aimed at him. He rolled his eyes at his brother's rage and resumed the game as Klaus slowly eased back into his seat. With one clap of his hands, Kol put all of his cards in one neat stack and added them to the pile, smiling victoriously.

"I win!"

Elijah's eyebrows lowered at the top card. He sighed, almost amusedly. "You can't just put all of your cards down at once."

"Sure I can." Kol pointed. "The card says _Discard All_. So I did. Game over."

Elijah squeezed the rim of his nose. "You can discard all of the cards of that _color, _Kol."

"Which color?"

"The one on the card!"

"Well, why didn't you specify?"

"I told you to listen to the rules!"

"Stop yelling!"

"STOP BEING STUPID!"

Kol gasped, his hand flying to his chest. "Elijah, did you just insult your own brother?"

"Somebody stake him. Somebody do it before I do."

"Calm down, Elijah," Klaus soothed him. "Remember, it's Kol."

Kol's head whipped towards him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Shut up, Kol," Klaus warned him. "You're being a nuisance."

"Not as much as Stefan's hair is..."

Stefan groaned. "Shut _up_, Kol!"

"Everyone stop telling me to shut up or you will get no more quiche!"

"Nobody wants your damn quiche!" Damon cried. "It's gross!"

Kol stood, snarling. "You take that back."

Damon stood too. "Why don't you come over here and make me?"

"You think I won't, pretty boy?"

"Oh, I'm banking on it."

"I ought to take my bat and shove it up your - "

"Will you all just quit acting like neanderthals?!" Rebekah finally snapped. "Honestly, there's enough testosterone in here to impregnate an entire country! Don't make it worse by riling each other up!"

"They can't help it, sweetheart," Klaus grinned. "They're primal creatures. Their blood boils at the tiniest challenge of dominance."

"Oh don't act like you're above it all, Nik. After all, you're the one who caused half the commotion by stealing Stefan's hair regimen."

"What?!" Stefan nearly fell off the couch as he scrambled to turn toward his now frenemy. "_You're _the one that took my mousse?!"

"Way to let the cat out of the bag with that one, Rebekah," Klaus glared.

Her eyes narrowed to match her contemptuous grin. "Loose lips."

"Unbelievable," Stefan scoffed. "What the hell did I do to you?"

Klaus shrugged, glowering. "Where should I begin? It's a long list of indiscretions that start with you trying to kill me on several different occasions."

"Oh cry me a river and get over it, Klaus. Besides, I thought we were past that?"

"Didn't you know Nik is the KING of petty grudges?" Rebekah drawled.

Damon made a chortling sound. "Apple doesn't fall too far, Sexy Beks."

"Bite me, Salvadork."

"Ooh. Kinky. I like it."

"Ugh! I'm going to get another drink!" She stood and . "You know, no other woman would last a second trapped with the likes of you all. Barbaric brutes..."

Kol leaned back in his chair, grinning. "Well, lucky for us, Beks, you're more of a man than we'll ever be."

"Put a sock in it, Kol," she called over her shoulder.

* * *

In an hour's time, two more rounds had been played, including two more rounds of drinking, bickering and joke making and Kol continuing to press the launch button. But for some, the entertainment was quickly fading.

"This game is becoming a borrrrrrre," Kol groaned. He folded his hands behind his head with a smirk. "It's flat like Stefan's hair."

"Can we just shut up about my hair already?"

"But it looks funny," Kol reasoned, innocently.

Rebekah hummed from her glass, pausing her sip to speak. "I like his - HIC! - hair."

All eyes widened at the sudden tiny noise from Rebekah's throat. Except, Elijah, who was content to remain oblivious in his own focused stupor. Klaus, however, looked concerned.

"Rebekah, how many of those drinks did you have?"

She blinked, one eye closed, as she mulled it over. "Three?"

Damon let out a short laugh. "Lightweight..."

"Am – HIC – not!" She pointed to her brother and mumbled, "Kol's fault!"

"My fault?" He looked alarmed. "What did I do? I didn't _make _you continuously drink yourself silly!"

"You...mm..used way m're tequila than was necessary," Elijah slurred.

Kol stared, innocently, pooling his eyes with shame. "I just wanted you to have fun..."

"Oh – HIC – damn you – HIC – Kol!" Rebekah managed.

"Sorry. Didn't catch that."

"Shut – HIC – it!"

"You sound funny when you're drunk."

"I hate you."

"Oh, hey. Look. No hiccups!"

"Kol!"

"Okay!" he said loudly, slamming the table. "Who's turn is it?"

"Mine!" Rebekah stated. "Two! _And_ s'yellow. Jus - HIC - jus in case you idiots are too - HIC - stupid to see."

Damon sighed, clearly amused. "What would we ever do without Rebekah?"

"You'd be alotta worse off, I'll tell you - HIC- that much."

At her vain proclomation, Stefan sniggered, shaking his head. She turned in his direction almost instantly.

"Wha's so funny, hairboy?"

His eyebrows raised at her new nickname for him. "Hairboy? Really? That's original."

She giggled. "Yes. I am."

Klaus groaned, rolling his eyes as he put a red 2 over Rebekah's card. "Let's make it red."

"No, blue," Stefan switched it by putting a wild card on top.

"No, _red," _Damon insisted, placing another wild card on top of his.

"_No_, blue!" Kol demanded, throwing down a _Wild All Hit_ card. "And now everyone has to push the button! In your FACE!"

They all rolled their eyes and took turns pressing the button and taking the cards that came out. It was Elijah's turn again, and his face had started to bloom a rosy color. He was staring in a trance at his empty glass, not aware it was his turn.

"All right there, brother?" Klaus attempted to break his concentration.

"I think he wants another Sangrita," Kol beamed, jumping up from his seat. "Coming _riiiight _up!"

"What?" Elijah looked up, dubiously. "No, I'm...uhm...no. No more, Kol."

Klaus peered at him. "Are you drunk too?"

"No, I'm 'lijah."

Rebekah snickered. "'lijah..."

"Quiet, R'bekah."

"Great. Now we have _two _drunk Originals," Damon remarked in a bitter sarcastic tone. "What. A. Party."

"Better these two than the other two," Stefan muttered

"I heard that," Kol said, walking back in with a full pitcher.

"I'm not so bad a drunk," Klaus said, coolly.

Rebekah snickered again and even Elijah cracked a smile. Kol restrained himself as he set the pitcher down. Klaus looked around at his three siblings reactions, appalled.

"What? I'm not!"

Kol slapped his shoulder as he sat back down beside him. "Of course you're not. You rampaging alchy, you!"

"Well you're no better."

"I'm a fun drunk. Moreso, I'm a _functional _drunk. Not too different from my normal self, actually."

"Can we just get back to the game?" Stefan asked, sullenly.

Klaus leaned over, whispering to Kol, "He's still brooding over his hair."

Stefan slammed his cards facedown on the table. "I am _not _brooding."

"Ease up," Kol laughed. "I mean...you look...well...you look... Bekah? You're the girl. Stroke his ego."

She blinked, completely baffled. "Stroke his _what?"_

"Wow..."

Klaus blinked, wearily. "Poor word choice, Kol." He leaned toward Rebekah. "Just tell him he's pretty, sweetheart."

She shrugged, drunkenly. "But he looks like a helmet head."

Stefan glared, clenching his jaw. "Thanks, Rebekah. That's confidence boosting."

"Rather I'd lied?"

"No. I'd rather you all just shut up!"

"Lack of volume makes him moody," Damon chimed in, playfully.

"Screw this!"

He got up in a fluster and left the room, stomping out toward the foyer. Rebekah was giggling, watching him storm out.

"Oh come on, Stefannnn!" she called after him. "Don't be so sensitive!"

"What a party pooper," Kol pouted.

"His hair is kinda his thing," Damon explained. "Or rather, his obsession."

"How girly," Kol scrunched his nose with distaste. "Can't fathom how people become obsessive over such ridiculous things..."

Elijah nearly choked on the drink he had poured. "Are you kidding me?!"

Klaus sighed, patting his sister's knee. "Rebekah, darling, go cheer up our broody little vampire and bring him back here. We have a game to finish."

"Why me?"

He smirked. "Because you're the one who's been flirting with him all night."

With a dissatisfied humph, she got up and left the room to find Stefan. In the meantime, Damon, Klaus, Kol and Elijah sat in awkward tension filled silence.

"So...how's Elena?" Damon quipped randomly.

Elijah looked up, confused. "Hmm? Why d'you ask?"

Damon shrugged, pouting his lower lip. "Pretend I'm curious."

"Pretend I don't wanna answer," Elijah said, failing to make himself sound as threatening as he wanted.

"Pretend I'm _really _curious."

"Pretend I _really _hate you."

"This is nice," Kol smiled, happily. "One big happy dysfunctional family, aren't we?"

A loud crash sounded, causing them to jump. They glanced at each other, waiting for a followup but there was none.

Damon raised an eyebrow. "You guys heard that too, right?"

Quickly getting to their feet, the four hurried out to the foyer to find the cause of the disturbance. The centerpiece of the foyer was in shambles on the floor, but their attention was focused on the pair of vampires against the adjacent wall, caught in liplock.

Damon shook his head, chuckling. "I don't think that's what he meant by 'cheer up', Sexy Beks."

Kol leaned around the others to get a better look. "Ooh...I'm telling Mattie..."

Rebekah and Stefan pulled away from each other, staring back at the others guiltily.

Klaus folded his arms, smirking. "So should I assume Stebekah is back on?"

Elijah, Damon and Kol collectively turned around to face the hybrid, dumbfounded.

"What the hell is _Stebekah_?" Kol's voice echoed.


	19. Chapter 19: Dirty Minds

**BecMcKeown** - The physical games always seemed a little harder to do, mainly because they're kind of out of character for the Originals. That's not to say I haven't completely thrown them all OOC in this story, but that's the main reason I've avoided things like Hide & Seek, Tag, or your suggestion of Murder in the Dark. :)

**Eby Mikaelson** - Kol? Adopt a child? Lordy, no. He's a child himself. He would be terrified of a little rugrat. Or he'd just kill em.

**magically-muddled** - If "The Originals" has a family game night anywhere within it, I'm jumping off Wickery Bridge.

**hoamoy** - I haven't killed Mabekah yet, I swear!

**EyesLikeLiquidFire** - Kol and TV shows. Interesting thought. I'll keep it in mind. As for Scene It...sounds like a Caroline idea. Hmmm...

**Louisagriffins** - No offense taken by your review. I always love me good criticism. I'm aware that there's really no set plot for this story and I know it's starting to get boring. Believe me. In truth, this wasn't supposed to have any sort of plot at all. It was supposed to be a new game every chapter and just the act of the family playing it. That the ships got all involved and drama carries over was just a random turn from my head. It's a crack story. It's mainly for the humor, not the amazing writing or character development or literary devices. Humor, a bit of fan service, and fun! :)

**mrsnathanielbuzolic**- Aw I'm glad you're addicted though! :P And I'm not done with Kol and Katherine yet, don't worry. ;)

**ChristenedInBlood** - Continuity error. *blushes* Whoops!

**Oehret** - Hm. I thought the Klaroline sex was implied. Just pretend they go at it wildly all the time having hot hybrid sex. ;)

**LisaLevine** - Yeah, I don't know what the hell I was thinking putting Elejah together in this. I'm so in love with Kalijah. Katherine is definitely making another appearance ASAP. :)

**JaggerMania** - Let's see. I would marry Klaus so I can have his hybrid babies. (Too soon? ;P) Fuck Matt, because I couldn't bear to kill him. And by default, kill Damon. Okay. Alaric, Shane, and...Silas! HAHA!

**RealHuntress18** - The Game of Life keeps popping up on my radar. Very real possibility, that one. Also, I like making messes. :D

_Thank you all my lovelies for the continuous suggestions of games and the love and all of your reviews and favorites and follows! Even after all this time! I appreciate it, truly. Kisses and hugs for all! And you know, I keep getting a lot of suggestions about mocking out Twilight. It might just have to happen one of these days. It's getting reeeeeeally tempting. :_P

* * *

_I DID NOT ABANDON THIS STORY! I SWEAR!_

_Rather than go into a gigantic apology of epic proportions, I'm going to make this as short and sweet as possible:  
I'M SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG!_

_See? Short. _

_No, but honestly, I am terribly tragically sorry that I haven't updated in ages. I planned on taking a month hiatus from this story to rejuvenate the humorous part of my brain so I could come up with more material for this. And then I realized a month passed like lightning before I even got a chance to update and let you guys know I was taking a break - and yeah, I actually started this chapter months ago and it took forever to get around to finishing. Those of you who read all my stuff know I've been more dedicated to "Uncharted Territory" so there's that. And unfortunately, that's not going anywhere anytime soon and it'll always be my highest priority. But I'm hoping to bang out at least a couple - like 3 or 4? - more chapters for this story before I officially close shop. I'd rather end this while it's going strong than let it die in a slow fizzle, which I feel like it's starting to. (Feel free to tell me otherwise! :P)_

_I'm not promising to go back to the once every two week updates, though I will try to be quicker than a few months between postings. At this point right now, I have no idea what game I'm doing next. That was what made these chapters so much easier, knowing exactly what game I was going to do. Since I've done almost every family game under the sun, it makes this harder to work on. But I'm promising to try! _

_This one is the longest game night I've written yet, and I can't say I'm completely sold on the idea of it being laugh-out-loud funny, but I hope that's just my pesky insecurities. Enjoy and hopefully I'll be back soon with more laughs! ;)_

* * *

Week 18

In the kitchen of the Original mansion, three Originals were gathered for what was becoming the Friday night ritual of waiting for their fourth counterpart to arrive on the scene. This week, as it was for most weeks, it was Elijah who was missing. While biding her time, Rebekah sat lounged across two stools at the island reading a _Cosmo_, trying to zone out her brothers incessant chatter, and failing miserably. Klaus and Kol were casually standing against the opposite side of the island, engrossed in a riveting conversation of _very _importantmatters...

"Tell me again," Kol implored, eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "How exactly does it work?"

Klaus sighed, wearily, having gone over the fundamentals numerous times. "You put the two names of the pairing together to create one unified name. It's called a 'ship'."

"Why is it called a ship? Are they sailing off into the sunset together?"

"No. It's derived from the word 'relation_ship_.' Generally it's when you root for two people as a couple, as if you're joining their team."

"A team? Wait, so now it's a sporting event?"

He squeezed the rim of his nose in frustration. "_No, _Kol. Try to focus. If you want two people to be together, romantically, it's the same as saying you're on their team. You're cheering for them to get together."

"Like Team Edward and Team Jacob, Kol," Rebekah clarified, not looking up from her magazine.

"Ohhhhhhh."

Klaus blinked. "Why did _that_ clear things up?"

"I made him watch with me, for mocking purposes. The idiot turned out to actually _like _the movies."

"I like _one _character and suddenly I'm a fan of the saga?" Kol objected.

"Just because she's pretty doesn't mean she can act," Rebekah retorted.

He waved a hand dismissively, reverting back to the previous topic. "Where on Earth did you learn about this 'shipping' nonsense?"

"Probably Caroline," Rebekah snooted.

Klaus raised an eyebrow. "Well, as a matter of fact..."

"So...what you're saying is 'Stebekah' is a grouping of Stefan and Rebekah?" Kol inquired. Klaus nodded. "Why not Rebefan?"

"I don't know. I don't make the rules."

"No. Caroline does," Rebekah taunted with a cheeky grin. "You're just her little lap dog."

Klaus glared, gritting his teeth. "Quiet_,_ Rebekah."

"Stebekah sounds better, though," she added, laying the magazine down. "And for your information, it is _not _becoming a thing. So you can quit while you're ahead with these so called shipping names."

But Kol was well past the topic, having moved on to something more appealing. "So what if – hypothetically – you were to create a ship name for Katerina and I?"

Rebekah scoffed. "I'd call it vomit. Did you hear what I said, Nik? Stefan and I – not a thing."

"Kolterina?" Kol continued. "Katerol? Kolerina? Nah. Sounds like cholera...hmm."

"Try using Katherine," Klaus offered. "Might be more aesthetically pleasing."

"Excuse me," Rebekah pouted. "Do _not_ ignore me."

"Katherol?" Kol continued. "Hmm. That sounds like some sort of sushi."

"I _said _Stefan and I are _not _happening!"

"Koltherine?"

Klaus raised an eyebrow, pointing. "That's not bad."

"I quite like it, actually."

"You're both idiots," Rebekah tutted, giving up on them.

Klaus leaned back, contemplative. "What do you suppose mine and Caroline's would be called?"

"Caus?" Kol shrugged.

"Too simple."

"Nikoline? Klausoline?"

"Carolaus?"

"What if you used last names? Is that against the rules?"

"Bloody hell..." Rebekah muttered under her breath.

"Hmm." Klaus considered it before blurting, "Mikaelorbes?"

"Sounds a bit like something else," he chuckled.

"Forkaelson?"

Kol laughed outright. "You're not getting any better, brother."

"Let's just stick to first names then." He rubbed his chin. "Klaroline?"

"Ooh! Klaroline! I like it. Almost as much as Koltherine."

At that precise moment, Elijah entered the kitchen, completely perturbed by what he'd walked in on.

"Why on earth are you two speaking in gibberish?"

"Let's pair Elijah!" Kol gushed, excitedly.

Klaus smiled lazily. "With which Petrova? He's loved all three."

"Talijah. Kalijah. Elejah," Kol listed off, smacking the table. "Boom, done."

Elijah peered, unsure of why he was suddenly growing agitated with their antics. "Excuse me?"

"They're being facetious," Rebekah explained. "Don't pay them any mind."

Klaus smirked mischievously at his little brother. "We've left out Rebekah and Matt."

They looked at each other and simultaneously spewed, "RATT!"

Rebekah stood, scoffing. "To hell with both of you."

She slammed the magazine closed, proceeding to storm out of the kitchen. Elijah gazed at them, completely at a loss for what was going on.

Kol chuckled into a sigh. "That was fun."

* * *

When all the shipping ruckus had come to a halt, all four Originals reconvened in the Great Room for Kol's choice of game. He'd selected "Dirty Minds", fully intending to come out of it victorious due to its namesake. But for the time being, until the rest of the party showed, he failed to resist badgering his sister some more, especially with such juicy blackmail ammo.

"So what do you think Mattie will say when he finds out you kissed Stefan last week?"

Her eyes widened. "Kol, don't you dare even think about it."

He turned to Klaus, bemused. "Ironic that Bekah should be the one breaking a heart when hers has been through the shredder countless times. Trying some role reversal baby sister?"

At that last remark she sped from her seat, zooming into his face threateningly. "I'm not going to break his heart because _you're_ not going to tell him. Is that clear?" After a brief, intense staredown, he relented and she returned to her seat. "Besides, it was a silly drunken mistake. And we're not even official anyway, so he has no grounds to be upset on."

"That's not how he'll see it," Klaus objected.

She narrowed her eyes. "I don't recall asking _your _opinion."

"And what about Stefan's opinion?"

"What has that got to do with anything?"

"Well it may be something to consider, as I've invited him back tonight."

"You _what?!_"

Kol sat up, eagerly. "This night just got a great deal better."

"What if he asks you about it when he's here?" Klaus continued.

"Why would you invite him?!" she cried in panic.

"He's my friend."

"He's your pity project," Kol mused.

He laughed. "Maybe at one point, but we've more of a brotherly bond now."

"Not after you stole his hair products."

"Minor setback."

"I can't believe you invited Stefan when you _knew _I invited Matt!" Rebekah glowered. Shaking her head, she scoffed a laugh. "What am I even talking about? Yes, I can."

"You're deflecting, Rebekah," Klaus scolded.

"It was a mistake!" she stressed again. "And he knows that. For heaven's sake, _he _kissed _me!"_

"And _you _kissed _back."_

"Not willingly..."

Kol sniggered. "Didn't look that way."

"Shut up, Kol."

He sat up, annoyed. "That is it. I'm this close to making a sign for tonight to wear around my neck." He swiped the air, envisioning it. "The use of the phrase "Shut up, Kol" is no longer permitted. Violators will be staked at their own expense."

"Either way," Klaus sat up with a groan. "Stefan is a delicate little flower. You may have reignited some leftover feelings."

She snorted. "Delicate flower? He's a bloody Ripper."

"On the one hand, yes. But on the other..."

Kol pointed. "You should listen to him, Bek. He knows his dearly beloved best."

Klaus rolled his eyes. "Funny. Truly."

"But not far off," Rebekah taunted, glad to be getting some payback. "You're nearly attached at the hip."

"I was thinking more backside..." Kol quipped.

Klaus smirked maliciously. "Keep it up, Rebekah. Stefan will be here shortly."

"I hate you," Rebekah sulked.

"Sticks and stones, sweetheart."

And in no time indeed, the gang had arrived all at once including Caroline, Elena, Jeremy and Matt. Caroline and Klaus occupied a newly purchased loveseat while Elena, Jeremy and Elijah filled one of the couches. With Kol taking up residency in his usual armchair, that left Matt and Rebekah on the other couch.

A short while after everyone was situated, Kol leapt up to greet and escort a tardy Stefan into the Great Room leading him to the only open seat, coincidentally on the opposite side of Rebekah.

"I liked your hair better last week."

Stefan rolled his eyes as he sat. "Shut up, Kol."

"Okay, I'm making it known here and now that there will be no shutting up of Kol for this evening," Kol announced, authoritatively. "So you're hereby all prohibited from telling me to do so." On cue, about four or five "Shut up"s defiantly rang out in the room. He crossed his arms with a huff. "You're all crossed off my Christmas list. Especially you, Stefan. No mousse for you!"

Stefan glared, gesturing to Klaus. "Can you dagger him?"

Kol flopped into his chair with a chuckle. "Oh ease up, mate. No need to be hostile."

"Why don't we just start the game?" Elena sighed, pleadingly.

"Agreed," Elijah nodded. "Elena, could you please hand me the box so I might read out the directions?"

She nodded and patted Jeremy's shoulder to hand her the box to hand to Elijah. He opened the black cube and laid out the four booklets and deck of cards that were included, puzzled at the lack of contents.

"There are no directions."

Matt pointed. "They're uh, inside the booklets. I played this once before."

Kol eyed him suspiciously. "So there's competition."

"Don't worry, Kol," he laughed. "I'm pretty sure I can't out-dirty _you_."

He sat back, folding his arms behind his head. "At least you acknowledge your inferiority."

Elijah scanned the book quickly, before reading aloud. "The object of the game is to collect game cards with every correct guess to the clues provided until you spell out "D-I-R-T-Y" with the cards you collect. You start by - "

"Okay we get it," Kol interrupted, bored already. "Give the clues, guess it right, take a card. First to spell "DIRTY" wins. Can we start?"

Caroline snorted. "You're eager."

"I'm confident in my abilities," he corrected with a smirk, waggling his eyebrows with implications.

Klaus tutted. "Don't kid yourself, Kol. You've proven yourself horrible at any of the previous guessing games."

"Ah, but this one just happens to be angled towards my expertise."

"When it's your turn, your first guess is free, meaning there is no penalty for a wrong guess," Elijah continued. "However, each wrong guess thereafter will cost you one card. Each time you choose to guess, a clue is read. If you decide not to risk a card and pass, the player to your left is given an opportunity to steal by attempting one guess or they may also pass. For every correct answer after one clue you draw three cards. For two clues, 2 cards. Three, one card." He paused, frowning deeply in confusion. "You know this is very complicated gameplay for what's supposed to be a party game."

"Oh, who needs the rules anyway?" Kol waved a hand. "We'll make up our own. Just...go around taking guesses and whoever gets it, gets to draw a card. By the time we go a few dozen rounds, someone would have spelled the word "Dirty"."

Elijah considered it. "That does seem less complex."

"See? I have good ideas."

Rebekah, in the mean time, was abnormally silent. She sat rigidly, her face taut, wringing her hands over and over. Stefan wasn't too far off either, his shoulders stiff, eyes darting everywhere. They were the epitome of awkward. Noticing the tension, Caroline leaned into Klaus to question it. He smirked, pointing between the three as he quietly explained the melodrama unfolding before them.

"Right. So, last week, Rebekah got a bit too drunk and kissed Stefan back when _he _kissed _her_. She says it was meaningless and accidental, but regardless, Matt has no idea about it yet. And Kol, on the other hand, is itching to let the cat out of the bag."

She laughed softly. "Literally, I miss the best things when I don't come to these nights. But wait, why would it matter to Stefan if he knew she was drunk?"

"Well. It's merely speculation, but I would think the kiss reminded him of their past, stirred up old feelings..."

"Oh god. Poor Stefan."

"More like poor Rebekah, if Kol stays true to his nature..."

She snickered. "Got any popcorn?"

Klaus snuggled her tighter to him and they continued to look on in anticipation. Elijah's head was bent, still reading, eyebrows furrowed.

"We'll have to do this in teams," he decided. "There are only four clue booklets."

"Fineee," Kol scoffed in mock disgust. "I guess I'll just _have _to pair with Caroline,"

Caroline snorted. "Yeah, right."

"I wonder who Rebekah will team up with," Klaus said a little louder than necessary with a suggestive grin.

She shot him a dirty look. "Shut it, Nik."

"It's a fair question," he reasoned. "Considering..."

Her eyes widened with a scowl. "I said _shut it_!"

Caroline whacked him in his chest, hissing, "Don't make it worse. You're as bad as Kol."

While Elijah scratched his head, perplexed, Elena took the booklet from him, deciding to give him a break and take charge a little.

"We have four booklets, so that means we'd need four teams."

"So basically, anyone who's not a couple in here is screwed," Jeremy commented.

"Don't worry, mate," Kol assured him. "I'll be your teammate."

"Yeah...somehow that's not really comforting."

"Well, I'll be with Klaus," Caroline said, as if it were the plainest thing in the world. "And you'd be with Elijah, Elena."

"And Matt and I would be a team," Rebekah chimed in, self-assuringly.

"That leaves Stefan alone, though," Elena frowned.

He shrugged, smiling goodnaturedly. "It's fine. I can just watch."

"No. You can be on our team," Caroline offered.

"But I wanted Steffypoo on _our _team," Kol pouted.

Stefan's eyes rolled skyward. "I'm not even acknowledging that one."

"I think Stefan should team up with Rebekah and Matt," Klaus suggested with a grin.

Rebekah glared. "I think Nik should keep his big fat mouth shut."

"Well, perhaps if Rebekah had followed her own advice in the first place..."

"Klaus should be quiet if he knows what's good for him," Caroline murmured through gritted teeth with a sweet smile, pinching his leg.

"And Caroline should mind her own business," he shot back, warningly.

Her eyebrows raised. "Seriously?"

"_Enough_," Elijah demanded. "This incessant chatter is just prolonging the start of the game. Can we please?"

It took about fifteen more minutes of bickering and bantering before the team situation was finally settled and everyone was content. As it stood, the teams were Elena and Elijah, Jeremy and Kol, Matt and Rebekah, and the threesome of Klaus, Caroline and Stefan. The cards were spread facedown on the table and each team was given their booklet, quietly snickering at all the clues.

"Who goes first?" Matt asked.

Elijah hummed, rereading the directions. "It says the person who bought the game goes first. So that would be Kol."

Kol's eyes widened. "I get to go first and not Nik? Well." He put a hand dramatically to his chest. "This is so sudden. I wasn't prepared."

"Just get on with it, Kol," Rebekah urged.

"All right." He glimpsed his booklet and grinned almost instantly. "Oh, this one is especially for Stefan. First clue: I make your hair sticky. Second: I come out white and creamy. And third: I can make your head stiff and hard."

Stefan shook his head. "You have no shame, do you?"

"None whatsoever." He beamed. "Give up?"

His eyes rolled, dully. "Mousse."

"Bingo! Take your prize and take your turn."

Stefan took a card from the pile – the letter Y – and held onto it. Caroline looked down at the booklet in her hands, having naturally taken charge of the team, and blushed at the word's clues. She rolled her eyes, pressing her lips together.

"Do I _have _to read this one? Here, Klaus, you read it."

Klaus looked over her shoulder, repressing a grin. "I think it would be more suitable for you, rather than my or Stefan reading it..."

She shot him a glare and fought the heat in her cheeks as she reluctantly read the first clue: "Over a thousand people went down on me."

Kol was the first to chuckle. "Promiscuous, aren't you? Must taste divine."

"Kol!"

"Sorry. Continue."

"I wasn't a maiden for long." She sighed, shaking her head and reddening more. "A big hard thing ripped me open."

All around the room small snickers sounded out. Scoffing, Caroline threw the book in Klaus' lap, waiting for the guesses. The room was silent for about thirty seconds until Kol snapped his fingers.

"Titantic."

Caroline blinked, stunned. "How did you even guess that?"

"Easy. Over a thousand people went down on it's maiden voyage when an iceberg rammed into it and sank it to the bottom of the ocean. Doesn't take a genius to figure that one out."

Elijah scratched a finger down his neck, astonished. "That is frightening how you could make a connection with such suggestive clues."

Kol raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Have we met?"

He plucked a card from the pile – R – and handed the booklet to Jeremy to read out their clues.

"O-kay. First clue: You grunt a lot when you do me." He grinned. "Getting too much of me makes you sore. I can make your muscles bulge."

Matt leaned forward, clasping his hands. "Exercise."

Jeremy nodded his head from side to side. "What kind?"

"That's cheating!" Caroline argued. "You can't give him hints!"

Matt ignored her with a wry grin. "Lifting weights?"

"You got it, man."

Kol peered at him through narrowed eyes. "You got lucky."

Matt picked up the letter I, shrugging smugly. "Told you, I played this before. Some of the clues are familiar."

Rebekah, meanwhile, flipped a page, finding a suitable word for their turn. "Here. This one isn't so bad... I'm always very attractive. I'm always very repulsive. I'm always either pushing or pulling."

Kol raised an eyebrow, smirking. "That sounds just like you, Rebekah."

She rolled her eyes flashing him a snooty look while everyone else thought on it.

"A door?" Caroline tried.

Matt raised an eyebrow. "A door, Care? Really?"

"What? You push or pull a door. It makes sense!"

Klaus squeezed her shoulder comfortingly, leaning in to murmur, "That's only satisfying a third of the definition, love."

"Well I don't see you coming up with anything."

Kol shrugged. "I still stay it's Rebekah."

She reached behind her and grabbed a pillow to throw at him but he dodged it, letting Jeremy take the blow. Jeremy shot him a sardonic look, knocking the pillow off his lap to the floor.

"Dude. I'm not your human shield."

"On the other hand, I think you should make a go at it, professionally. You'd excel."

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Not funny."

"Does anyone know the answer or what?" Rebekah urged.

"A magnet," Elijah answered, one eyebrow poised knowingly, his fingers still stroking his chin in afterthought. "A magnet repels and attracts – the more formal meaning for push and pull."

Elena smiled, proudly, squeezing his knee. "Way to get us in the game."

While Elijah smiled happily and picked up a D card, Caroline and Rebekah stuck their tongues at each other in a grimace, mocking the pair.

"I saw that," Elena rolled her eyes, readying herself to read the clue. "I do it with boots and a whip." The males of the room suddenly oohed and ahhed. She rolled her eyes, smiling. "The bad ones are usually hung. When I'm mounted, I'm working."

Kol scoffed. "Well. Now that you got me all hot and bothered..."

Elijah glared. "Don't start Kol."

"Me? Elena started it. With her boots and whip. Oh baby."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Not even in your wildest dreams, Kol."

"And what do you know about my wild dreams, darling?"

"Nothing, thank god."

"Can you..._not _hit on my sister?" Jeremy begged, shaking his head. "Kinda gross."

"Cowboy," Stefan said suddenly, quieting the room. He looked at them all, eyebrows raised. "Well, you know. The boots. Whip. Mounting..."

Elena looked at her booklet again. "Actually, that's right."

He grinned, triumphant. Caroline clapped excitedly, high fiving him while Klaus took a card from the pile. It was a D, giving them the lead with 3 letters of the word "DIRTY". The book was in Caroline's grasp once more to read out the clues for their team.

"Why do _I _have to read it again?" Caroline whined.

"You did so well last time, love. Why not keep it up?"

Kol smiled sweetly. "Yes, Caroline. Why don't you – keep it up?"

She scowled at him and plucked the booklet from Klaus' hands. "Shut up, Kol."

"What did I say about that?" he frowned, wagging a finger.

As she read the next word on the list, her eyes began sparkling dangerously.

"I'll read it if you want, Care," Stefan told her.

"Oh no. I'll read this one." She smirked at Klaus, deviously. "I get turned on by men in charge." He grinned, rolling his eyes at the innuendo. She nodded with a laugh as she continued, giving him a wry look. "You're _always _finished before I am."

He shook his head, smile lessening. "Not true."

She tilted her head, coyness returning as her voice became seductive. "Sitting on me can make your body writhe."

Klaus blinked, eyebrows slowly raising. She pursed her lips satisfactorily, handing him back the booklet. But he grabbed her wrist instead as they locked heated eyes, forgetting where they were.

"Hey. No eye sexing here," Rebekah objected. "This is a _friendly _gathering, thank you."

But they ignored her. Klaus' eyes swirled with deep sapphire as he gazed hotly. Caroline chewed the corner of her lower lip as she stared at him with anticipation, not hearing the calls of her friends.

"Earth to Caroline," Elena urged with a laugh.

She blinked and snapped out of it, looking up bewildered. "What?"

Matt laughed too. "What's the answer?"

"Oh." She blushed. "Um. Electric chair."

Klaus leaned in, whispering softly, "Nice blush."

"Shut up," she hissed, elbowing his rib.

While Stefan flipped through the book looking for a new word, Kol was staring at Matt with an eerie, idiotic grin.

"I know something you don't know."

Matt's looked up, bemused. "What?"

Eyes flying wide, Rebekah grabbed and threw the box cover at him, the corner hitting his temple. Kol rubbed his head, leaning down to pick it up.

"Nice aim," he glared, dully.

"Isn't it a bit early, Kol?" Klaus chided.

Kol looked over at him, surprised at his partaking in his little game. "Perhaps you're right. Timing is everything."

Rebekah made a small sound, almost growling. "Keep your big mouth shut, Kol."

"Okay, what's going on?" Matt shook his head. "You've been telling them to shut up all night."

"It's nothing," she assured him. "They're just being buffoons."

"But Matt has a right to know," Kol argued. "As his friend, I feel obligated."

The blonde quarterback shook his head with disapproval. "Dude, we're not friends."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Kol held his hands out in utter shock. "When did this happen!?"

"C'mon, Kol. We were never friends. Not after all the crap you've pulled."

"But Jeremy's my friend."

"Jeremy's a dope."

"Thanks, man," Jeremy narrowed his eyes. "Real cool."

Matt shrugged. "Well you are."

Kol pointed, adamantly. "You're just jealous of what we had in Denver."

Jeremy turned his head, stunned. "What?!"

"I don't _care _whatever you had in Denver, Kol. Point is, I'm not your friend, nor will I ever be. I only come to these things because of Rebekah."

"Okay, can we just go back a second?" Jeremy was still trying. "What the hell do you mean about Denver? Did you compel me?"

"Compel you?" Kol looked offended. "You think I'd do a thing like that to my mate?"

"I don't_ know_. What the hell happened in Denver?!"

"We played baseball? Video games? Talked about girls you liked? Had a few drinks?"

"You were drinking, underage?" Elena stared at him in appall.

Jeremy snickered. "Please, Elena. You and your friends get drunk all the time. Maybe I learned from your bad example."

Tuning them out, Caroline leaned into Klaus, muttering. "Ever feel like your whole life is a soap opera?"

He laughed. "In my case, more of a murder mystery."

She looked at him in disbelief that he'd made such a pun but he only winked. Meanwhile, Elena was still playing mom to her little brother.

"That doesn't mean it's okay, Jeremy. Are you smoking pot again too now?"

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "Chill out, Elena. I'm fine."

"Apparently not if you're befriending Originals and partying all night."

"Sweetheart, your defense is a little flawed as you're currently _dating_ an Original," Klaus pointed out.

She held up a hand, shushing him. Elijah took her raised hand, stroking it and trying to comfort her.

"Elena, your brother is fully capable of taking care of himself. I know you trust and believe that too."

She stared at him, searching his eyes for a moment before her shoulders dropped and she sighed in agreement. "You're right."

"Let's just finish the game and then we can all relax. Fair?"

Elena nodded, pursing her lips to keep herself from making any more arguments. Kol leaned forth, intrigued.

"Well that was masterful. How do you achieve such control over your woman, Elijah?"

"Taking notes for Katherine?" Rebekah jabbed, eyes as arctic as her smirk.

Shockingly, Kol leaned back in his seat, silenced, eyeing her conspiratorially. Elijah, in the meantime, had found a word to continue the game.

"Okay. Picking up where we left off..." He cleared his throat and held the book up to read, getting the room's attention. "My business is in my briefs. I am a cunning linguist. I plead for it."

Kol clasped his hands. "Right. So what are the clues?"

"Very funny."

"What? You weren't referring to yourself?"

Caroline's eyes rolled. "It's old, Kol. Get a new joke or shut up."

He slapped his knee and pointed to her. "Off the Christmas list!"

"Cunning linguist...Professor?" Elena tried.

"Teacher?" Jeremy rephrased.

She narrowed her eyes dully. "Same thing, Jeremy."

"Ooh!" Caroline's hand shot out. "Lawyer – because your client pleads guilty or not guilty, and you have to brief them before a case. And lawyers are always smooth talkers." She turned to Klaus with a little smile. "Actually, _you'd_ make a good lawyer."

He grinned. "Thank you, but I don't think I would be allowed in a courtroom for more than five minutes."

"True. You'd go off on the first person who looked at you wrong," she said with a giggle.

"Ugh. Flirt on your own time," Rebekah scoffed. "We're in the middle of a game."

Since Caroline refused to read the clues for the third consecutive time, Klaus decided to appease her and took over the duties. He found a word suitable to his liking and straightened to read aloud.

"I am constantly knocking off a piece. I stop pounding when I'm satisfied. I'm a bust man."

"Not surprising," Kol chuckled.

He rolled his eyes. "It's the clue, you idiot."

Jeremy grinned. "So, you're _not _a bust man?"

"What about Caroline's bust?" Matt joined in.

Caroline smirked, turning to him playfully. "Yeah, Klaus. What _about_ mine?"

"That is a private matter, love." His eyes were reprimanding. "One which I'm not discussing in front of my family or your friends."

"Oh, so you're an ass man," she teased with a laugh. "Got it."

He gritted his teeth in annoyance. "The game, please?"

Matt coughed the words into his hand, "Bust man."

"Rebekah," he begged, hoping she'd reign in her prospective boyfriend.

She shrugged, nonchalant and enjoying his misery. "Free country, Nik."

"All right, all right. The answer's sculptor," Matt grinned, picking up a card with the letter D before letting Klaus confirm.

"Thank you."

Matt nodded, taking the book from Rebekah to read. She pointed to a word for him with a grin and he shook his head in disbelief. "Seriously?" He laughed. "You're gonna pay for this..." He sighed, sitting up a little more to read. "I'm horny. ...I'm covered with kinky hair." He paused, shaking his head with a grin at the last clue before reading it. "I specialize in the butt."

The entire room erupted with bursts of laughter. Caroline had fallen against Klaus, and Rebekah was leaning into Matt's shoulder, giggling. Even Elijah smirked a tiny smile.

"So is that why you kissed Stefan last week?" Kol blurted out, his laughs trailing. "Because Mattie only specializes in the butt?"

Rebekah's face dropped, mid-laughter, glaring icily at him. Matt's laughter subsided as he started to withdraw his arm from around her to face her.

"What'd he say?" he laughed nervously.

Instantly the room quieted, waiting for the story to unfold. All eyes – save for Stefan's head bowed shamefully – were set on Rebekah and Matt.

She turned to him, immediately apologetic. "Matt, it wasn't like that."

"You...kissed Stefan?"

Stefan started shaking his head. "Look, Matt, it wasn't anything. It was just - "

But Matt's scoff interrupted him. "I'm sorry, could you just not speak right now?"

Rebekah grabbed his hand in hers, pleading. "Matt, please. It didn't mean anything, I was drunk, and stupid. You have to believe me."

He slipped his hand from her grasp, standing and shaking his head. "I think I'm gonna go."

"No, Matt, wait! Don't!"

"Do whatever you want, Rebekah. _Kiss _whoever you want." He nodded, glaring. "You'll do it anyway, right? I can't believe I actually thought you could change."

"Matt!"

Klaus laid his arm across the back of the loveseat, eyes flicking to Stefan. "Well, if you wanted an opening, I think now's your best bet, mate."

Rebekah turned back, eyes flaming. "You too now, Nik?! Are you both just hell bent on making me miserable?!"

"What?" He held a hand out. "I was just saying - "

"I think I better go too," Stefan stood.

Rebekah's shoulders dropped. "Just - No. Wait, Stefan - "

Matt shook his head, still standing in the doorway, incredulous. "Unbelievable."

She turned to him. "Matt!"

"I'll see you all later," Stefan nodded.

She turned back. "Stefan!"

But the door had slammed and both men were gone. Rebekah turned back to them fuming and eyes glistening.

"How dare you!" she snapped at Kol. "Just _once _I begged you not to say anything!" She turned to Klaus, even angrier. "And you too, inviting Stefan just to stir up more drama. I hope you're both pleased with yourselves!"

Kol and Klaus gaped at her, at a loss for words. She glared past her tears until the slowly rolled down her cheeks and she sped off, upstairs to her room with a slam of the door. The remaining guests were left in an uncomfortable silence.

Elena sighed, getting up too. "I'm gonna go talk to Matt."

Jeremy shook his head. "Nah. You stay. I got that. You go see what's up with Stefan."

He waved everyone goodbye, Elena following soon after. Caroline was the final person to stand before the three Originals. She stared sternly between Kol and Klaus, arms crossed in appall.

"Real nice, guys. She's your sister. Your _only _sister. And you just treated her like total crap." She shook her head, eyes trained on the ceiling before dropping to Klaus, index finger poised at him. "I expected it from him, but tonight _you _just hit a new low. Don't even _think_ I'm sleeping over tonight."

Leaving them to think about what they'd done, she sped up to console Rebekah. Kol, Klaus and Elijah were all left to stare at each other. Kol fiddled with his fingers, pursing his lips.

"Game over, then."

"Shut up, Kol," Klaus grumbled.


End file.
